A Christmas truth, a personal regret
On that first Christmas morning, Jesus gently entered earth as a helpless baby. Though in his humanity he was weak and reliant on others, he was covered by the mighty hand of God.
He was God the Son, though veiled in mortal flesh.
He grew, became a toddler, learned to talk and walk, learned a trade from his father.
When, as a man himself, he stepped into the baptismal waters, his divine identity was revealed. This pronouncement was proclaimed by the audible voice of God the Father, and with the visible presence of the Holy Spirit.
He lived through hell. The attacks of evil men, demons and Satan himself were relentless. His closest followers and allies deserted him, and the people and government condemned him—to death. Gruesome and torturous.
All was lost. His whole life and ministry seemed pointless.
From a human perspective, that is.
By rising from the grave, he defeated all the forces stacked against him, destroying their very foundation of sin and death.
In victorious glory, he ascended to heaven. His body—also known as the Church—remained on earth under the shepherding direction of the Holy Spirit. Satan also remained, but was overcome by shame and fury, subject to the authority of the Church.
Jesus, in a physical and glorified body, promises to invade earth again. He will completely vanquish the forces of hell, banish Satan and do away with death forever.
When I remember all this, I am overcome with gratitude. And humility. This Jesus has promised to bring me with all other believers into heaven, to save me from my sin, to give me eternal life, to bless me with peace and rest.
I'm going to look back on my time on earth a million years from now and either rejoice or regret how I walked with him and trusted him, right here, right now.
So, I am currently examining myself through this eternal, heavenly perspective. Will I chide myself for worrying too much about family, life and work? I think I will. Lord, help me trust you more deeply.
What about you? Do you trust him? As you examine your own walk through life, especially right here, right now, what does an eternal, heavenly perspective reveal to you?
Will you regret anything?
Here with you,
Tom Harper
Founder, BiblicalLeadership.com
LinkedIn profile | My books
 | Tom Harper is publisher of BiblicalLeadership.com and executive chairman of Networld Media Group, a business-to-business publisher and event producer. He has written five books, including Servant Leader Strong: Uniting Biblical Wisdom and High-Performance Leadership (DeepWater Books, 2019) as well as the Christian business fable Through Colored Glasses and its sequel Inner Threat (DeepWater, 2022). Learn More » |
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