AREN’T YOU GLAD?

Praise God! This is one of the most important times to remember. The
time we celebrate the birth of our saviour and Lord, Jesus Christ and it is a
time for sober reflection when we should be wondering, what if....

You know, as a rational thinking human-being, when you are in good

situations you should wonder what if things were bad. Let’s say you are
having a great time on your job. Your pay is reasonable (I know it’s not
enough), the job environment is relatively peaceful, and competition is
comparatively healthy. You just might be thinking that you must be
special, that is why all seem to be falling in place. If only you can think it
through, you can name one or two people whose jobs are exactly the
opposite of yours and who are not necessarily bad people. At such times it
would do you well to think, what if you are the one on the other side of the
divide?

The irony of life is such that no matter how bad your situation is, it is not
unlikely that you find someone at least in a worse situation than you. This
has left me with a consolation that no matter where I find myself, it does
not matter if it is so bad, it could be worse. This mindset has built a heart
of gratitude in me to God in bad circumstances.

On the other hand, I have come to realise that even if all is well with me
(at least relative to others), I still see people in better condition than I am,
notwithstanding the near perfect life that I might be living, I still see one
or two people having that which I desire to have. So no matter how
beautiful things may be presently, I conclude that it could be better. So I
live everyday with the expectation, from God, for a better tomorrow.

As the Apostle Paul said, I have learnt to be abased and to abound. In

every situation I find myself, I have learnt to acknowledge God- the author
and the finisher of my life-. For without Him, I believe my life will and
cannot be complete. When things are not so good, I give Him thanks
because I know it could be worse and again I look up to Him because He is
a way maker. That with Him by my side I will surely come out better.

When life is rosy, I also give Him the glory, because I know left to the
enemy -the devil- I will not get there without compromises. And at the
same time my gaze is fixed on Him (God) because I know He is able to
keep that which I have committed unto Him and at the same time I know
there is no limit to where God can take me to in life. So in all things I give
Him thanks.
Many times however, I have found out that things are not as bad as we
make them to be. The expectation of bad news is much worse than the
bad news itself. Imagine that you want to see a doctor and you have been
told your symptom is like that of an incurable disease, the many crazy
thoughts that would go through your mind all night up until the 2hours
you are at the doctor’s waiting room is weightier than the 10minuites of
the doctor’s diagnosis and result.

I want to challenge you from today to see beyond where you are, no
matter how bad the situation might be. Remember that you still serve a
God in whom nothing is impossible. Even if there is no solution in sight,
remember that Jesus is still Lord, even over your (seemingly) impossible
situation. Rather than filling your mind with the thoughts of the bad
situation, fill your mind with solutions and the promises of God in His word
for you. I guarantee you, you will soon realise that it’s not so terrible after
all. Moreover, impossibility is only with man, so when your gaze is fixed on
God, you will start seeing possibilities in the midst of your
impossibilities.And that gives you peace in the midst of the storms of life. I
dare you to start doing so from today! It is the greatest therapy against
the lies of the devil.

Back to our “what if” theory. Have you ever thought or wondered what life
would have been in this 21st century if Jesus had not come over 2000years
ago? What if our Saviour and Lord had not been born to this earth? For
one, history would not have been made, the years would not have been
divided into B.C and A.D, there would not have been the Bible and most
likely civilisation would not have developed to this level positively (for
Christianity is synonymous with civilisation). The world would have been
chaotic and very disorderly to say the least. We would have been back to
Genesis One ...the earth was (will be) without form and void.... That’s on
the physical level.

On the spiritual level, can you imagine what the world would be now if
Jesus had not come? I believe the devil would have taken over. You say
there is evil now? Without Jesus on earth, this is just a tip of the iceberg.
We would have long lost the difference between evil and good, no man
would have been able to live normally because there will be no one to set
good examples. Anarchy would have been the order of the day. Even
though the Sun will be shining, the darkness of evil would have
overshadowed the earth. The word ‘love’ would have been erased from
the vocabulary of mankind and every one person will live hell on earth
and hell in hell. I think the world would have long been destroyed.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is unimaginable how life would have been on
earth if Christ had not come. But the “what if” can and will put you in
good stead to appreciate this season. Praise God with all your heart and
no matter how bad things may be now, you know it could have been
worse if the Christ had not been born to checkmate all the dangerous
schemes of the devil towards mankind.

Am I glad Jesus came! That is why my family and I (I advice you do same
with you and your family) will do everything to make this season the time
to celebrate. For we are celebrating when God, through His Son, gave
mankind an alternative to the devil’s Kingdom and reign. The liberation of
any desiring being was set in place and also we celebrate the birth of the
reign of good over evil forever on earth.

There is nothing wrong therefore in being very happy and joyful in this
yuletide season. Nothing should stop you from getting your children good
clothes to wear (within your means of course), go visiting, plan and
prepare some good meal for your family and loved ones, and buy and give
gifts to both friends and foes. Its celebration time!

Just as a man of God said, “When purpose is not known, abuse is

inevitable.” In like manner those who do not know the purpose of this
season only think of it as just a holiday season, a time to travel, a time for
frivolities, a time to spend beyond their means and a time to be reckless.
To the corporate world, most of them see this season as a time to show
appreciation to their customers and also provide some incentives and gifts
to their staffs. To the manufacturing world, it is the time to give their
machines rest and overhaul. To almost everyone, it is a time to buy and
sell. To some, a time to rake in lots of profit both by hook or crook and to
others the time of high expenses, for this is the only time they remember
their folks, friends and sometimes their pastors.

Whatever this season signifies to you, it would do you a lot of wrong to

forget that Jesus is the reason for the season and that the celebration is
all about Him. Don’t ever lose sight of that fact. No matter what else you
might think of doing, it should be an addition to the celebration of the
birth of your Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. For His birth marks the
beginning of redemption of mankind. No wonder the Bible said the angels
sang at the birth of the Saviour, “glory to God in the highest, on earth
peace to those who have his goodwill” ((Lk2:13 GW). As a man of His
goodwill, you should join the angels to sing this celebration song in this
season too. Halleluyah!

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. His birth changed the
whole world – and He can change your life today. Each year, it is
traditional to give gifts at Christmas. Just as you give gifts to your loved ones,
God is offering you a gift as well: the gift of complete forgiveness, freedom from
sin, and eternal life with Him in heaven. Just like you must accept a Christmas
gift for it to be yours, you must accept God’s gift of salvation. I wish you a
glorious and beautiful Christmas and a grace filled and wonderful New Year. See
you next year.