All the Difference in the World

by guest blogger,

Nicholas J. Fedele

Well it’s that time of year again. The colors run green and red, interspersed with gold twinkling lights and silver threads of tinsel.  Children's eyes are wide with wonder and magic, and for a couple weeks they’re all on their best behavior. Families reunite, feasts are prepared and everyone wishes for peace on Earth and goodwill towards men, if just for a little while.  Christmas is coming!

Then there's the glorious music!  The choruses ring out all over the world, beckoning the faithful and the curious to come and adore Him on this silent night.  But inevitably some boy comes to the stable banging on a little drum which wakes the sleeping baby, making him cry.  Annoyed, the shepherds throw the little drummer boy out on his keyster for disturbing the newborn babe in the straw.  At least that’s my version of the story.

Ah yes… 'What Child is this who laid to rest on Mary's lap is sleeping?' asks another timeless carol.  Good question.

When we think about it, everyone in some way is faced with that question every Christmas season.  The Child in question is everywhere!  He's unavoidable!  So who is He?  What do we do with Him?  Do we even give it any serious thought in the midst of all the busyness?  Does it really matter?  What difference does He make for our lives anyway?  For anyone’s life?

I'm thinking now of most of the people I encounter in my day-to-day.  Family, friends and acquaintances who are what we would call genuinely good people.  The salt of the earth.

From all appearances, they seem to have got it all together.  They have a loving marriage and 2.5 beautiful kids.  They say grace at their meals and go to church on Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, just like proper believers should.

They're content with where they are in life and where they're going.  They have real joy in their hearts, sometimes despite their circumstances, again just like believers do.

They grow and mature in character through hardship and trial, what do ya’ know, just like believers grow! 

But here's the rub… They feel no need for true relationship with Christ.  Why should they?  What difference does He make?  What Child is this?

I've found these dear people to be the most resistant to the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The reason often is that they have heard it all before many times.  And for the most part, not only have they heard it all before, but they’ll swear that they most certainly believe it to be true!  And again, for the most part, they actually do.

Where the problem arises is in this:  There is an insidious indifference present in their mindset.  A failure to connect their own goodness and righteousness to its focus and end point in a vital, life changing relationship with Jesus.

The apostle Paul speaks about people who are like this in Romans 10:1-4:

Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation.  For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge.  For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.  For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

Jesus Christ is the source of all righteousness and recognizing and accepting the Lordship of Christ is what makes all the difference in the world.  As human beings, it is only in knowing Him that we fully become who we were created to be.

So can people be content and have a ‘got-it-all-together-life?’  Sure, but ‘Christ has come that we may have life, and have it more abundantly’ (John 10:10).

Can a person have joy in any circumstance?  I imagine so, but only in maintaining relationship with Jesus will His ‘joy be in you, and therefore your joy will be made full and complete’ (John 15:11).

Can people grow and mature through the hardship and trials that come their way?  Of course, but when God puts us through the fire to stretch and purify our character, His word states that our maturity is moving toward perfection.  We become more and more the person God designed us to be;  mature and complete, not lacking anything’ (James 1:2-4).

It is a deadly deception of Satan that allows a person to accept contentment, joy and maturity, but only for this life.  “It is enough,” they think.  Here and now.  This is all there is to existence.

We must understand that there is no temporal or eternal purpose in living life apart from God.  Vanity, vanity, all is vanity and life is futility, the wise man wrote.  Nothing lasts and nothing matters.  Not without Him. 

So what do we do this Christmas for people who feel no need for Christ but are awash in the ‘Christmas spirit’ and the ‘hope of the season’ as it were?  When that hope disappoints and the post-holiday blues set in, we can be there to quietly point the way past the manger scene to a ‘hope that does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us’ (Romans 5:5).

The Lord desires all of us to know Him and break free of the lie of superficial religiosity and so called ‘Christmas spirit.’  Let us just pray for wisdom and opportunity from the Holy Spirit to draw our loved ones to Him this Christmas season.  Be His hands and feet.  Be His eyes and ears.  Listen to His still small voice.  Be a living example of His love.  People are especially open to the gospel during this time of year.  So go tell it on the mountain – that Jesus Christ is born!  Remember, He makes all the difference in the world.

GOD BLESS US, EVERYONE!