DECEMBER 22 JOY IN THE WAITING By Dwight Peterson Pastor of Spiritual Formation, The Capital Church
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds. (James 1:2)
One of the most significant parts of Christmas is waiting. It seems the longer the wait, the more powerful the joy. Christmas is so exciting, as we wait for what we anticipate is under the tree. James wrote about this concept, not related to Christmas but to the events of our lives. The question is, why would that waiting produce joy? And what does that have to do with Christmas? First, James tells us to have joy because of what is being produced while we wait. He tells us that while we wait, perseverance is being produced. According to what Paul wrote in Romans 5:3-5, perseverance is the building block on which character is built. Who wouldn't respond with joy knowing you are developing the character quality you need to become more like Jesus? Becoming like Jesus is the goal of our salvation, which is why a baby was born in a manger. We can rejoice with great joy during trials not because of what will one day happen, but because we know it will happen WHILE we are waiting. While we wait, we are gaining that which will enable us to achieve our ultimate goal, to become more like Jesus. This Christmas, there is joy in the waiting because of what the birth of a baby allows us to one day have. But there is also a joy because of what the birth of a baby will enable us to have WHILE we wait. There is joy amid my waiting because God is making me more like Jesus!
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