God With UsSample

Continuing The Practice of “With-ness”

Are you a minimalist outdoor Christmas light kind of guy, or are you an all-in type of light guy competing with Clark Griswold to win The Great Christmas Light Fight in your neighborhood?

No matter where you fall on the Christmas lighting scale, lights will become more numerous and luminous over the next few weeks. Some of you may take the family on a Christmas light drive or attend a community tree lighting to see the glow of the season with your own eyes.

Eugene Peterson captured the essence of John 1:13-14 in the poetic and descriptive language found in The Message version of Scripture: “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish.”

Jesus took on flesh, becoming fully human, and moved into our neighborhood—and the Christmas light began to shine.

It is our desire for you, as men who follow Jesus, to practice His “with-ness” every day to shine His light.

This week, we have explored some ways to practice the presence of Emmanuel:

·Practicing the “With-ness” of Scripture—Becoming men who dwell in the Word and allow the Word to dwell in them richly.

·Practicing the “With-ness” of Simplicity—Becoming men who embrace the things that really matter.

·Practicing the “With-ness” of Solitude—Becoming men who create margin in their lives to hear the voice of God.

·Practicing the “With-ness” of Sharing—Becoming men who spread the Good News of great joy in word and deed.

·Practicing the “With-ness” of Seeking—Becoming men who worship God with their whole lives, in Spirit and in truth.

Practicing these things will prepare our hearts to experience the fullness of His “with-ness” and be conduits of His love and grace to the world around us.

Christmas is so much more than all the entertaining and entertainment, tinsel and trees, commercials and commercialism. Christmas celebrates the God who moved into our neighborhood to redeem humanity and restore our relationship with the Father.

Jesus is God with us, now and always. May you know His “with-ness” like never before this Christmas.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for moving into our neighborhood and revealing the glory of the Father to us. Fill me with awareness of Your abiding presence this Christmas season. Amen.

Reflection: Which practice that we explored this week is most difficult for you? Are there other practices you can add this season to experience all that God has for you? How can you embody the presence of Christ in your own neighborhood this Christmas?

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