Presence Presents
Considering the Incarnational Presence of God this Christmas
It’s Christmas Eve, and instead of delivering the next installment of the current series, it seemed like a good idea to go seasonal for today’s post.
So, presents. They can be stressful or amazingly wonderful. Some people are good at giving them. Others are awful at even knowing what they want. Are gift cards cheating?
More than presents, though, during Christmas we ought to be talking about presence. We talk a lot about being present with your family during this time rather than continuing to work on and off. You’ll see plenty about margin in our Friday Instagram and LinkedIn posts: and keeping margin in your life is one of the key focal points of Diadem Coaching!
For today, though, I want to focus on God’s presence with us. I recently finished a book called With by Skye Jethani. He focuses on how we see and live with respect to God, and contrasts life with God to living life over, under, for, or from God.
We say the name Immanuel a lot around Christmas time. God, in order to save us, didn’t act from far away: He became a man and took on flesh and walked here among us. Immanuel means “God with us.”
As you celebrate over this holiday season, reflect on how God is currently with you in all you do. His presence, which we see and feel (and taste!) in a special way during the Lord’s Supper, is constant. He doesn’t leave you even momentarily nor does His attention wander.
You matter to Him. Jesus values you and will choose to be with you and is never too busy for you (see Him with the sick woman in Luke 8) He made you to reflect Himself to the world and you are His Masterpiece that He never tires of enjoying. Live this season and all year long in that truth. Merry Christmas!