A Prepared Christmas

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Come, let us bow down in worship,

let us kneel before the Lord our Maker

(Psalm 95:6)

Background music attribution: The O’Neill Brothers Group, The Holly & The Ivy from Joyous Christmas Carols on Piano

Welcome to an advent season of preparing!

Now, it’s not to prepare a Pinterest-perfect Christmas, mind you—with all the commercial flare. Rather, it’s for preparing us to wholeheartedly worship the Christ on Christmas. Because to fully worship the Lord in spirit and truth often calls for some preparing (especially amid bustling distractions).

Besides, you can’t be prepared for Christmas if you miss the whole point of Christmas.

We all know that it takes some doing to get ready for Christmas. I won’t ask if you’re ready yet. (It’s barely past Thanksgiving after all.) So, ease up on putting any added pressure on yourself.

Feeling prepared does help though, doesn’t it? Especially when it comes to celebrating Christmas.

Do you know who was prepared? The shepherds.

We can take our cue from them.

They were out watching. Watching over their flocks. Ready for anything that might happen to occur. And once that heavenly announcement came, they readily responded with “Let us go there” (Luke 2:15).

That simple.

In haste, they rushed to the manger. They hurried to be in the presence of Jesus.

Let’s go there. Together. Let’s simply rush our hearts to our Savior’s side and bask in His presence.

Then, when another Christmas is behind us, we won’t look back and realize we missed the Christ. And we won’t miss out on the blessedness that comes from including worship in all our preparations.

So let us, like the shepherds, go to Him. But let’s go in astonishment.

Yes, astonishment! I know, astonishment typically unsettles us. But shouldn’t we be astonished at what God is able to do . . . and has done? Be amazed at the lengths He has gone to redeem the lost.

Wonder at the very miracle of it all! Be exhilarated by the grand drama of God’s redemptive story.

Christmas is not something that happens outside of us . . . around us . . . to us. It’s not something to endure or survive. Or tinsel over. It’s opportunity. It’s the grandest of all occasions to look to God and celebrate Him.

The Lord has come!

The pronouncement has been made by the hosts of heaven.

Let’s be like those shepherds. In astonishment, in excitement, in eagerness, let’s rush with haste to the Christ—with hearts prepared to worship.

#APreparedChristmas