Written by Dr. Cary Corley
I’ll never forget Christmas 1993. It was my fifth-grade year, and things were not going well. I received my first “C” ever, and that was a big deal in our house! I’d also gotten into two fights on the playground during recess. Then there was the incident involving a spitball and the teacher’s desk during the class holiday party. I still don’t know what I was thinking. All I know is–I immediately regretted it.
I was getting into so much trouble that my father told me all I was going to get for Christmas was a lump of coal, and frankly, I believed him. I knew I was not living up to my parent's expectations of behavior. With that being said, as I stood in the hallway with my brothers, anxiously waiting to see what Santa brought down the chimney, I thought to myself, “There isn’t going to be anything in there for me, and that’s okay. I deserve it.” Imagine my surprise and relief when my father opened the kitchen door to toys in the living room for my brothers and for me too! Even though I didn’t deserve a thing that year, Santa still came through. The naughty list was negligible! My entire spirit was lifted, and it quickly became the “best Christmas ever” kind of day.
This is a beautiful picture of what Christ has done for us this Christmas. It seems drab to mention sin and justification during a season of joy and hope, but Jesus came for that very reason. Just like my fifth-grade year, we don’t measure up. We’re found lacking when it comes to God’s expectations, but as the Christ child was born, hope entered the universe. That hope is still present and alive this Christmas. Whether you’ve had a rough year or not, remember Christ has come not only to make the naughty list negligible, but He came to demolish it. Let that fuel your fire and re-energize you this Christmas!
From our family to yours, Merry Christmas!
Dr. Cary
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