Good morning, friends. If you are like me, you are marveling at the fact that we have entered the month of December. The last month of 2018. Where did the year go? It seems to me, the older I get, the faster time goes by. It feels like we just ushered in the New Year and now here it is time for Christmas once again. I don’t know about you, but the pace of life is picking up around the Hill household. I find myself distracted by the busyness that accompanies this season, especially if you are a musician. Couldn’t help but laugh at a post on Facebook by one of my Vocal Matrix Chorus friends: “This is a season of unparalleled beauty, tradition, wonder, and magic. Too bad you’re a musician. Go practice.” There is so much truth in that! Not that I am complaining. I love Christmas music! I am so grateful that the Lord has given the gift of music, especially at this time of year! But, it’s easy to get so distracted by the duties of the season, we forget about the delights of the season. We forget about the reason for the season. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, came to earth to “save His people from their sins.” I read a devotional recently that really hit me between the eyes and I thought it would be a great one to share as we move into the Christmas season. I hope it will encourage us all to focus on the real meaning of this “most wonderful time of the year!”
Get Obsessed
“We obsess about work, our kids, our house, and the future. We obsess about our weight, our relationships, and our 401(k) plans. But what would happen if we flipped that obsession to the things of God? What would your life look like? What if we cheered for God the way we cheer for [our favorite football teams] or for our firstborn as he rounds third base? What if our eyes popped open each morning because we were exhilarated about how God is moving in our life?
Jesus was obsessed. He was preoccupied and fixed on one thing only- the message and miracle of salvation (John 17:3). His earthly life culminated in three years of public ministry. He had a precious window of time in which to lay out the feast of heaven before a famished, sin-filled, skeptical world.
The dictionary defines obsession as ‘the domination of one’s thoughts or feelings by a persistent idea, image, or desire.’ May Christ dominate our thoughts, may the idea of holiness own our hearts, and may the persistent image before us always be the grace and miracle of the cross. Now that’s an obsession I’d be happy to indulge in!” (From More Than a Bucket List)
“Now this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God,
and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.”
(John 17:3)
