Messy but Marvelous: Joy in the Mess
The season leading up to Christmas can be filled with all kinds of messiness—especially relational tensions and conflicts. Many people grow frustrated when the most wonderful time of the year devolves into something mostly draining and exhausting. When you celebrate the season for its own sake, this is the inevitable fallout. True Christmas joy can only be found in the One who creates joy. God sent his Son into this messy world so that we might know what really matters and have joy that can persevere in the face of all problems. John the Baptist gets down to brass tacks about repentance and its fruits. People who know the joy of forgiveness treat those around them with mercy and grace. Paul speaks of rejoicing in all circumstances. These were not empty words, but were from a man writing behind bars. He remained joyful because his joy was not tied to his circumstances or his own desires. Rather it was firmly rooted in the Son of God, the Mighty Warrior, who saves us and takes delight in us.
