Joy to the world, the Lord is come. This year I have found joy in new places where the reminder of Christ’s birth has driven me into purposeful reflection. The Lord has placed a new song on my heart, one that seeks to sing of His goodness in all seasons. 

As we wean ourselves off the holiday season, there is a part of me that wonders what it would be like to embody year-round the excitement of the season that celebrates the birth of Jesus. It feels natural to reserve certain songs and celebrations for Christmas time. While this is fun and festive, I’ve started wondering how to live in festive response to Jesus and His birth all of our days.

As Christians, we have the opportunity to step forward in faith into a new year with the hope and joy that comes from Christ incarnate. There is a temptation to be disconnected from living in light of Jesus’s birth year-round because we reserve recognition and celebration for a certain season. While there is nothing wrong with honing in on the birth of Jesus during the Christmas season, we are misguided if we inadvertently remove ourselves from that posture of praise and adoration for the remainder of the year. 

It is no secret that the birth of Jesus changes everything, so why wait to celebrate? His very birth signifies His love and shows God’s promise to draw near to us and ultimately save us. I consider the words of Psalm 145:2: “Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever” (ESV). As I had this eternal celebration in mind, God drew me back to the importance of extolling His name forever, in all things, so that He may become known to all.

In order to flesh this out, I want to consider what it would look like to examine the way God is reflected in us. In an effort to examine my own life, I have taken time to truly ask myself how I am bearing the image of our Lord and communicating to others the power and presence of God in me. Every moment of every day, we have the opportunity to be a living testimony of God’s goodness. Within the past year, God has sent me friends of faith who embody the power and presence of God so clearly. I am naturally drawn to these people because I experience more of who God is just by witnessing the Spirit at work in them. They are quick to share who God is to them and what He is doing in them, but even in the absence of their words, the presence of God is palpable. These friends have challenged me to consider the ways I may be hindering or highlighting the work of God in and through me. 

Jesus calls us to shine as beacons of light so that others may be drawn to Him. In the same way that the star drew the wise men to Jesus, we have the opportunity to reflect that same hope to others. In what ways are you “putting out the star” for others to see and to follow so that they may be guided to find hope and joy in the Lord? Matthew 5:14-16 says, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hillcannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they set it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Jesus is inviting us to continue putting out the star that draws people to Him. We may have a reflection opportunity here: an honest examination of ourselves and how we are reflecting the light of Jesus in which we walk (1 John 1:7).

In the book of Romans, Paul writes about the marks of a Christian. I believe this could be a place for us to start. Consider Romans 12:9-13:  “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.”

As we strive to live and love like Jesus, may we constantly work in harmony with the Spirit as we journey on the path towards sanctification. May we embody the fruit of the Spirit in such a way as to reflect the tree that bears that fruit. For we know that it is He who is the vine, and we are the branches (John 15:5). As we abide in His love, He abides in us. It is only through this divine fellowship that we may bear His fruit and become beacons of His light. Thus, if we are to strive to do anything, it must first begin with a relentless pursuit of a deeper relationship with Him. Let every heart prepare Him room.