When the presents are all opened and the decorations come down, it’s easy to go back to our normal lives and forget everything we’ve just celebrated during the Christmas season.

Resting in the Prince of Peace and finding joy in the Light of the World quickly turn into hustling and anxiety as we feel the pressures of life and the darkness of this world looming over our heads once again. We know that the baby in the manger is Emmanuel, “God with us,” but after the Christmas festivities are over we start to wonder, “Why does He feel so far away?”

But it doesn’t have to be this way! Jesus is not only “God with us” during Christmas time, He is with us always (Matthew 28:20).

So as you settle back into the rhythms of daily life, don’t stop resting, hoping, and trusting in Jesus.

Make a point to slow down each day to recognize His presence in your life and remember the truth of the gospel:

While we were sinners deserving death, God saw our need and sent us His Son in the form of a baby (Romans 3:23, 6:23). This baby, Jesus, lived the perfect life that we couldn’t live. He took our sin upon himself and died in our place on the cross (Romans 5:8). But not only did He die for us, He was also raised to life on the third day, conquering sin and death forever (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Now, all who turn from their sin and believe these things can live with Him eternally (Romans 10:9).

Now that is something we can celebrate all year long!

Three Ways You Can Keep Celebrating:

1. Preach the gospel to yourself! Write the gospel down in your own words and place it somewhere you’ll see it every day. Any time you see that piece of paper, thank God for sending Jesus to save you from your sins.
2. Tell someone else the good news! There are so many people out there who don’t have hope because they haven’t yet believed the gospel. Try to think of one person you can share the gospel with and either write them a card or tell them in person what Jesus has done for you. If you can’t think of someone, make an effort to start incorporating lost people into your life. We are all called to share the gospel with those who haven’t heard it and you can’t do that if you don’t know anyone who doesn’t know Jesus!
3. Make your relationship with God a priority. Set aside time to spend reading the Bible and praying each day. Even if it’s only for a few minutes, that time spent with Him will be what sustains you in the busyness of life.

Although short, I hope this post was an encouragement to you! If it was, would you share this post with a friend so that they can be encouraged too?

Merry Christmas!