No place for gloom

In 1 John 3:8, there’s a hidden Christmas verse:

“The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”

Merry Christmas to everyone except the devil.

Amidst all the shopping, traveling, eating, wrapping, parenting, worrying, family conflict, increasing debt, marriage frustrations, lights, decorations, football, Elf re-watchings, caroling, parades, social media scrolling, traffic, coffee, egg nog, and Maria Carey listens, there’s still one thing to be seen - the manger.

It’s profound how a glimpse at the manger brings quiet and dispels gloom.

The manger scene needs to be re-seen.

This Christmas, may I humbly remind us that there is simply no place for gloom.

Not even in confronting our sinfulness. For we were dead, but now through Jesus, we are made alive.¹ We were perishing and now more than conquerors.² Struck down but not destroyed.³ Even when facing death, our mourning becomes morning because we know that our Son has risen.

If we are anything this Christmas, we must not be gloomy. A glimpse at the manger will remind that God had (and has!) a plan. A baby announced God’s intentions to forgive, to redeem, to bring hope, to invite us home.

“For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor, a lifetime. Weeping may stay overnight, but there is joy in the morning.” (Psalms 30:5)

If anyone should be gloomy at Christmas, it’s the devil. He lost. We win.

1. “[God] …even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved…” (Ephesians 2:5)

2. “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37)

3. “…persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed…” (2 Corinthians 4:9)