“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
–Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

With all of the holiday festivities happening around you, does life still seem empty? Maybe you’re like I once was, and you can only dream about seeing the ones you love for Christmas. I still remember sitting by the radio in a cold and empty house. My sentiments were mirrored in songs like “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and “Blue Christmas”.

Maybe your situation is worse, and you’re facing a crisis of gigantic proportions. You might be echoing George Bailey’s sentiments in the movie It’s a Wonderful Life. You believe you should have never been born. But many times, we get so laden down in the maze of life, that we can’t see God’s plans. I know because I was there. But I began to get back into the swing of things after I had a health crisis, namely a heart valve replacement, which put me in touch with my mortality and got me thinking.

While God didn’t create this crisis, He used it in my life for good, and He wants to do the same for you in your struggles. So please indulge me, for today I want to ask you a question. The question is not what would have happened if you had never been born. Instead, what would have happened if Jesus hadn’t been born in that smelly stable that we romanticize during this time of year?

The Bible tells us that Jesus was born of a virgin so that the curse of sin could be removed from the human race, because He loves you personally and intimately. God is holy and pure, and He can only interact with man because of what His son Jesus did for us. While there have been other teachers in the world, Jesus is the only one who stood behind everything He said and proved God’s everlasting love through His works.

Against all opposition, He healed and fed thousands of people, showing God’s love in a new and tangible way. When the going got tough, Jesus didn’t throw in the towel. Instead, He laid down His life on a criminal’s cross for you and me, and His death and sacrifice can bring us real freedom from the things which enslave us if we let them. Even that isn’t the end of the story, for many eyewitnesses tell us that just as He predicted, God raised His son up on the third day.

These claims may seem fanciful to you, and you may be thinking that Jesus Christ was just a good man, but the Bible doesn’t give us the option of being neutral. I challenge you to examine these claims for yourself. This is really what Christmas is all about. While holiday parties have their own festive place this season, they are all empty unless you know why you’re celebrating. Lots of presents are given and received at Christmastime, but these gifts should represent more than just material things.

They are symbols of love and joy, and reminders of God’s greatest gift to us–His only son. My wife and I hope that you will use the songs, the stories, the gifts, the parties and, most of all, the reflections you’ll experience this season as reminders of Jesus Christ, the real gift of Christmas.

And if your Christmas is an empty one, I encourage you to take the time to get to know Christ for yourself. Once you’ve read His story in the New Testament gospels, and you feel you’ve really come to know Jesus, pray and humbly ask Him into your heart. You’ll never regret, or wish to return, God’s greatest gift to you.

May you have a merry, full and meaningful Christmas this and every year!

Thank you for reading this, and may the Lord give you a wonderful week! We are trying to reach people who are hurting, so if God lays it on your heart, please consider becoming a partner with us. If you would like to make a donation, please visit www.hcmachaplains.org and click on the Donate Now link. You can also send donations by mail to HCMA (Healthcare Chaplains Ministry Association). Our ID number is 560. The address is 377 E. Chapman Ave., Suite 260, Placentia, CA 92870. Finally, check out our online store at www.amway.com/burdicksbargains.

If you have questions, comments or prayer requests for Timothy or Stephanie Burdick, please call 641-715-3900, ext. 874157.