Don't let the enemy steal your Christmas!

Hey, Sisters. It's almost Christmas. For some of us that's great news and for others... not so much - for a variety of reasons. More than telling you how to finish preparing or how to get through or make the most of whatever, I want to pass on a reminder God has given me today.

Don't let the enemy break in and steal your Christmas.

Let's take a lesson from that classic (albeit painful to watch) 1990 Christmas movie Home Alone. You know the story. There are a couple of bumbling thieves looking for houses to rob during the holidays and 8 year old Kevin was accidentally left behind when his family left for France. He engages in a rather epic battle with the thieves. I can't watch it without cringing, but am taking some lessons from Kevin today!

1. Thieves are out there waiting to take advantage of packages left on porches and presents left in cars or houses unattended. They don't take the holidays off - that's when they work even harder! The enemy of our souls and our families doesn't take the holidays off, either. Satan's army (which is still in our world today, btw!) is looking for opportunities to take advantage or our stress, fear, grief, illness, and busyness. We are more vulnerable when we forget that.

2. Kevin figured out he was being targeted and if we are Christians, we have an enemy who wants to steal, kill, and destroy our joy, our peace, our families, our relationships, our budgets, our hearts, and anything else breakable. We are more vulnerable when we ignore that - even during Christmas!

3. Kevin ended up defeating his enemies by being wise and prepared. Let's seek God and listen to the Holy Spirit. Let's ask the Lord where we're vulnerable and how to best prepare our homes and hearts and families for this weekend. Pray and PRAISE God for making us wiser and stronger than our enemy by the wisdom and power of the Holy Spirit of Christ Jesus alive and active in us.


If we remember we have an enemy - a spiritual thief wanting to mess up our celebrations of the greatest GIFT ever, and if we remember to guard our spiritual houses (our hearts!) I truly believe our Christmases will be better than they would be otherwise. May it be so for me, my family, and you, and yours. Amen.

A few more thoughts...

I got to preach at Butler last Sunday! It was a first for me, but I didn't have a good reason to say no when Pastor Scott asked. So I did it! If you'd like to hear my thoughts on Mary and Elizabeth (and Zechariah and Anna and Simeon) you can watch right here (or below) or listen on the Sister Studies podcast.



A few years ago I shared this Sister Studies reflection on advent and the irony of searching for the "perfect Christmas". It's a 12 minute listen you can find here (or below).


 

May your Christmas be full of whatever God has for you this year... peace, light, hope, love, comfort, and joy.

With Much Love,
Melissa

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Thanks so much for sharing!