Advent 2023

Sharing the Good News 

These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (NIV)

Think about when you have received good news. You want to share it with everyone you know, right? An engagement, an acceptance letter, a baby, a place so beautiful that your photos can’t do it justice. What about sharing the news of someone who will always love you, who wants to save you and give you eternal life? Jesus’ birth offers hope to all the world. It’s the most important news ever. If we believe this, how could we not share it with those we care about?

I grew up going to church and knew the story of Jesus, but for a long time, I lived selfishly, taking advantage of his grace, until in 2016, my best friend was killed tragically. In a season of life where I was so shattered that I did not have the capacity to invite Jesus in on my own, he swooped in and comforted me anyway.

It was a peace that made no sense; on one hand he allowed the death of my closest friend. On the other, he loved me through her death, ensuring I was taken care of. The poem “Footprints in the Sand” talks about walking on the beach with Jesus and how at the lowest points in life, there is only one set of footprints. The poem reveals those prints belong to Jesus, carrying you. This is exactly how that season felt for me—I felt a peace that could only come from Jesus. He surrounded me with patient friends and family who loved me through months of grief with meals, listening ears, prayers, and understanding. The Lord’s provision felt so secure. This is when I truly bonded with my Savior, his grace drawing me in, imprinting on my heart.

I can’t help but want to share how Jesus came into my life and changed me. Talk about them when you sit at home and walk along the road. I especially love sitting on my front porch with friends and talking for hours about Jesus and what we have learned about him. The beauty of this good news and how the Lord has written it on our hearts in different ways, never gets old! It is always worth repeating. I believe the Lord wants us to share our testimonies and to pass on the good news of our Savior from generation to generation. Sharing the Christmas story is a great place to start.

Reflect:
Who do you need to share the story of Jesus with this Christmas? How might your own testimony help someone better understand our Savior?