This time of year amplifies everything…the good, bad, and the not so great. The constant advertisements of the Christmas season being “meant for family,” and the reality of not having family to share the season with can be painful.
If you are one who finds this time of the year more hurtful than joyous, grievous because a loved ones and their memories thereof, are no longer here, and you just cannot seem to get away from an overwhelming sense of loneliness, this is for you. You are never, never, ever, ever alone.
I know it can be doubly difficult when you want, need, Jesus with skin on. Someone who deeply loves you to hold you and not let go. I get it. But if you will take just one more step toward the Truth we are delving into this month, I believe you will find His faithful love and grace in a newer way.
There is nothing more precious in all creation than love. Knowing true love is by far the most fulfilling experience in life. When we go through times in our lives where we cannot identify with what it is to be deeply loved by another, to be ever so special to someone, to be that counter person’s priority - it can be difficult to grasp how very loved, invaluable, we are to our Lord Jesus Christ.
Many years ago, I was drawn by God’s Spirit into an authentic intimacy with my Lord Jesus, for which I am forever grateful. But His wooing traveled to me via my desperate need to be loved. We all have it. No matter your lot in life no human can ever give you the perfect love only He provides. I hungered for His love.
God IS love. (1 John 4:8)
If I had already been fulfilled maybe I would not have felt the strident need to go deeper into Him. Sometimes our seemingly unmet needs can be the conduit which takes us to life altering answers, peace, and healing, without which we may have never gotten there.
In reading His Word (bible) I was told I was important enough for Jesus to have given ALL He was so that I could become my Father God’s daughter. I saw in Psalms 139 that everyday of my life was written in His book before ever there was one of them.
I was also told in scripture that Jesus was the first born among many brethren. (see Romans 8:29). I realized He was not only my Savior and Lord but was also my loving big Brother. I did not have a good relationship with my earthly brother, so this meant a great deal to me.
I further read how He was also my Husband: “For your Maker is your Husband–the Lord of hosts is His name–and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; the God of the whole earth He is called.” Isaiah 54:5
Whatever you need in a mate, He can supply and when He does bring His chosen earthly one to you, He will still be your only perfect Husband. I feel this enables us to be more accepting of our spouses’ weaknesses, knowing they are human and therefore flawed, no matter how very wonderful they may be.
The next beautiful Truth for us is to know God is our Father! So many of us have been fragmented by less than nurturing or safe natural Fathers.
Whatever you may have lacked in your biological Father, He will make up for in being your perfect Heavenly Father. He is not only Father, but He is Daddy-God. Our Papa. I call Him ‘Papa-Love.’
The Word tells us “For [the Spirit which] you have now received [is] not a spirit of slavery to put you once more in bondage to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption [the Spirit producing sonship] in [the bliss of] which we cry, Abba (Father)! Father!”
From Strong’s Concordance we see that Abba “Father," is also used as the term of tender endearment by a beloved child – i.e., in an affectionate, dependent relationship with their father; "daddy," "papa."
So, we see that Father God Almighty and the Lord Jesus Christ, are not only all powerful, all knowing, and omnipresent, but they want to be our family. Perhaps you are needing the Trinity; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, to be your family now more than ever. He wants to be family to you even more than you want family.
And finally, our unfathomable Lord Jesus tells us He is also our Best Friend…maybe even the friend we have never had.
“No one has greater love than to lay down his own life for his friends. (John 15:13) “I do not call you servants any longer, for the servant does not know what his master is doing. But I have called you My friends… (John 15:15)
I often tell my Daddy-God and Lord Jesus that they are everything to me. I can assure you, beloved friend, that He is more than competent, and willing, to be to you whatever you need Him to be right now. Fall into His loving arms by prayer, praise, worship, surrender, time in the Word, and totally abandon yourself to Him.
He is right there. God is not like humans. We were made in His image, not the other way around, and we are all in process. Humans fail us, but He does not. Be comforted and held in His strong arms of perfect love this Christmas season. More than a cliché, He truly is the reason for the season.
Let’s pray:
Father God, Daddy-God, Papa-Love, please be all your names imply intimately to me. Thank you for being my true Family. Make your love for me more real than ever before. Heal my heart, Daddy. Take away the loneliness. Remove every trace of despair from me this holiday season. Fill me new and fresh with your precious Holy Spirit and take the trajectory of my life to higher places than I ever dreamt possible. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for coming to this fallen world by being born a human like me. Thank you for dying for me on the cross, bearing all my sins and pain, being resurrected, and Lord God Almighty forevermore. Happy Birthday, Lord Jesus! Amen!
Linda S. Churchwell is an award-winning Christian author, animal advocate, patriot, and Founder of the United Christians of America,UCA
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