December 23
Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to him through God the Father.
Colossians 3:16-17 (NLT)
When they have reached a capable age, I have backpacked with each of my two sons up the same wilderness trail in Colorado. Much of the first day is spent hiking up a gulch that increases in elevation by 2,000 feet. The consistent incline produces complaints from both of my sons, as they wonder, “When are we going to stop climbing, Dad?” Some of the trail is fairly treacherous, and the trailhead sign warns of the presence of bears in the area. The dangers of what potentially waits ahead and even of where to place our next footstep are real.
My sons and I certainly are mindful of these dangers, but something else happens on the climb that we are unable to ignore. The regal trees, gorgeous flowers, powerful waterfalls, and majestic mountains fill the senses in such a way that the difficulty of the hike simply seems to fade away. The richness of the views, fragrance of the mountain air, and melody of the cascading water fill us with such gratitude for the opportunity to be together in such a place.
The same is true of the “message about Christ.” Its richness, by the power of the Holy Spirit, has the power to “fill” our lives. We are given the opportunity to “teach and counsel” with God’s wisdom. We are encouraged to “sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God.”
It is not a chore to do these things. In fact, they are the natural outflow of the joy of Christ with which His Holy Spirit fills us. If this is not already clear, we are reminded of the thankfulness “through Him to God the Father” that infuses every “representative of the Lord Jesus.”
The difficulties and dangers of this life are real, but the richness of the message about Christ—of Christmas—overwhelms everything else.