Living Without Stress in the Holidays
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Jesus Messiah, the Light of the World
During this busy time of the year, we need some keys to deal with the pressure and stress of the season.
- Call out to Jesus, the Savior, the one who has the power to change things and help!
- Walk in the light of fellowship with God and his Son, Jesus the Messiah.
- Speak “fitly spoken” words of light — words of comfort, counsel, and encouragement.
Call Out to the Savior
In all seasons and times in our lives, we really can call out to the Savior.
Luke 1:30–31 APNT:
30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found grace with God.
31 For behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son and you will call his name Jesus.
In Aramaic, the name Jesus is Yeshua. The first letter in a picture of a thumb with an arm. It’s the smallest letter of the Aramaic alphabet, but it means “power” or “work.”
The word picture of his name means: the power of change, completely experienced.
Yeshua—the power of change, completely experienced.
He’s a savior, deliverer, or helper. He causes change.
Luke 1:32–37 APNT:
32 He will be great, and he will be called the Son of the Most High, and the lord God will give to him the throne of David, his father,
33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and there will not be a boundary to his kingdom.”
34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be? Because no man has known me.”
35 The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Because of this, the one who is begotten in you will be holy and will be called the Son of God.
36 And behold, Elizabeth, your kinswoman, is also pregnant with a son in her old age and this [is] the sixth month for her who was called barren,
37 because nothing [is] difficult for God.”
Luke 1:37 NIV:
For no word from God will ever fail.
Luke 1:45 APNT:
And blessed [is] she who believed, because there will be a completion of those [things] that were spoken with her in the presence ofthe lord.”
When we call out to the Savior for help, he always answers with direction, help, counsel, and coming in to be a deliverer.
YouTube Wonderful, Merciful Savior by Selah
Luke 2:11– APNT:
11 For today the deliverer, who is the lord the Messiah, is born to you in the city of David.
12 And this [is] a sign [variant reading: he has come] to you, you will find a baby who is wrapped in swaddling clothes [all babies were swaddled] and laid in a manger.”
Walk in the light of fellowship with God and his Son
Luke 2:25–32 APNT:
25 Now there was a certain man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. And this man was upright and just and was waiting for the comfort of Israel and the Holy Spirit was on him.
26 And it had been spoken to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he would see the Messiah of the lord.
27 This [man] came by the Spirit to the temple and when his parents brought the child Jesus to do for him as was commanded in the law,
28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
29 “Now, my Lord, dismiss your servant in peace according to your word.
30 For behold, my eyes have seen your mercy
31 that you have prepared in the presence of all nations,
32 a light for a revelation to the Gentiles and a glory to your people, Israel.”
How did he know that Jesus would be a light to the Gentiles? It was prophecy!
Luke 2:33–34 APNT:
33 And Joseph and his mother marveled at these [things] that were spoken about him.
34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this [man] is set for the fall and the rising of many in Israel and for a sign of contention,
1 John 1:5–7 APNT:
5 And this is the gospel that we heard from him and we preach to you, that God is light and there is no darkness in him at all.
6 And if we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we are liars and we do not proceed in the truth.
7 But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all of our sins.
The oldest manuscripts and texts have no commas. Where commas are placed often changes the meaning. Read verse 7 with the comma placed differently:
1 John 1:7 APNT:
But if we walk in the light as he is, in the light we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all of our sins.
2 Corinthians 4:6 APNT:
because God, who said: From darkness light should shine, has shined in our hearts, so that we would be enlightened with the knowledge of the glory of God in the presence of Jesus Christ.
Proverbs 4:18–19 ESV:
18 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.
19 The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.
20 My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart.
22 For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh.
23 Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.
Speak “fitly spoken” words of light
Proverbs 25:11 ESV:
A word fitly spoken is like apples [oranges] of gold in a setting of silver.
The greatest gift you can give to someone during this time is a word fitly spoken.
We can think about three different kinds of words: words of comfort, words of counsel, and words of encouragement.
Proverbs 25:12 ESV:
[a word fitly spoken] Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold is a wise reprover to a listening ear.
The words that we speak can change someone’s life.
2 Corinthians 4:7 APNT:
Now we have this treasure in a utensil of earth that the greatness of the power would be from God and not from us.
1 John 1:5 APNT:
And this is the gospel that we heard from him and we preach to you, that God is light and there is no darkness in him at all.
Luke 6:45 APNT:
A good man, from the good treasures that are in his heart, produces good things, and an evil man, from the evil treasures that are in his heart, produces evil things. For from the abundant [things] of the heart the lips speak.
This holiday season, think about giving gifts of kind words and of light.
YouTube Jesus Messiah by Gaither Vocal Band
Scripture References
Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NIV) taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
See Also:
Comfort One Another With These Words audio teaching from the Acts Now Fellowship website
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