The Most Wonderful Challenging Time Of The Year!  This is as the song calls it: “The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!”  It is also the most challenging time of the year!  It seems like there is never enough time to do all of the things that need to be done and there is always something else crying out for our attention!

What’s One Of The Most Difficult Things About Christmas?  There is a lot that is difficult about Christmas!  Besides there not being enough time to do all that has to be done, there is also the challenge of getting that just the right gift for that special someone!  That at first glance does not seem like such a big deal, but for some of us, it is a huge deal, because we want others to approve of us and our choices!

What Is The Big Problem?  Too many of us suffer from Approval Addiction!  That is:  We desperately need what we do or don’t do, to be validated by what other people say and think.  We care way to much about what other people think and we let it make us crazy!  Too many of us get our worth or lack of worth out of what other people think and this causes us to do all kinds of crazy things.

We play to other people and let them control and manipulate us!  We are shaped by all the wrong stuff and often miss our miracle!  We allow other people to run our life that can’t even run their own lives!  We don’t need others approval – we need God’s approval!

We’ve Got Some Serious Work To Do!  You have to decide!  The plain hard truth is:  You can’t keep everybody happy!  It’s impossible and life is too short!  You have a choice to make – you can be a people pleaser or a God pleaser!  Not everyone is going to understand your destiny!  You are the one that has to make a choice about who is going to be happy!  Like it or not, believe it or not – you control your destiny!

In the Scriptures we find a fellow by the name of Joseph, who found himself in a very similar position!  In Matthew 1:18-24, we read:  18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.  20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”  22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).  24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

A Few Things To Think ABout:  Joseph had a plan, but his plan got changed!  Joseph had a lot of people telling him what to do!  Joseph had a destiny that God had picked out for him and that’s what he went for!  His life was not easy and the choices he had to make were tough, but ultimately it all boiled down to him deciding that he wanted either what he wanted, others wanted or what God wanted!

Live life long enough and you will find yourself at a similar place!  A place where you have to make the choice to listen beyond all of the other noise, so that you can hear the still small voice of God that is directing you away from the popular and into an amazing destiny that was selected and designed for you by your amazing God!  Don’t give us, don’t give in and never ever settle for anything less that God’s very best!

One of the big challenges of life is figuring out how to clean out your head and heart!  Our head gets filled with all kinds of stuff, some of it is good and some of it is bad!  Some of the stuff that comes thorough our head flows into our heart and it is not always good, uplifting and positive.  This stuff can do more harm than good, if left unattended.  This why we need to regularly step aside from the hustle and bustle of life and do a little cleaning in our head and heart!

What thoughts have you allowed to come into your head that rob God of glory, drain your of energy and push down others?  These thought have to be taken on and taken out, or they will send negativity and discouragement into your heart and then you are in serous trouble.  It’s easier to deal with and get rid of a head problem, than a heart problem.  Take the negative of the world out of your head and replace it with the positive of the Spirit!

If it happens that your heart has become polluted by this junk of the world, then you will need to spend some time with the Master.  Only your Creator can help you remove the stuff that does not belong in your heart.  Identify what the areas of challenge are and start to find Scripture that speaks to those areas.  Claim the promises of God’s Word and use this new power to chase away the stuff that does not belong.

Now, with a right heart and ready mind – sing for God’s Glory:

See and seize the opportunity God has given you!  Your life is filled with missed opportunities, don’t focus on what you have missed, look for and focus on what is in front of you.  You have a opportnity that is waiting to be taken for a ride!

Inspect your life, find what God has given you and how you can best use it for His glory and man’s blessing!  You have been gifted with all kinds of talents and abilities.  All of these can be used to make life better for others, while gaining glory for God!

Never stop expecting, appreciating and utilizing God’s blessing!  God created you and He created you for blessing.  God’s goal is that His blessing will flow into and through your life, when this happens He gets glory!  Look for, be thankful and use what God has given you to share His greatness!

Guard the glory!  The glory of God is exactly what the Devil wants to stop, so you know this will be the place of battle.  God has given you all that you need and what God has given you is just the right size, so wear it well and you will be glad you did!

What do you do when you get that perfect gift for Christmas?  You just can’t wait to show it off and share it with others.  God has given you the perfect gift in His Son.  And with the perfect gift of His Son, God has also given your life purpose, meaning and destiny.  Don’t keep this to yourself, share it, show it off for God’s glory!

Dress your best, look your best, feel your best!  Be you and be the best you anyone ever could be!  God gave the Wise Men a star and they were not ashamed!  They were blessed to be on the journey and shared with anyone and everyone that they crossed paths with.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 says:  9“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

You are not perfect and you will make mistakes.  The truth that we hate to admit is that we all make mistakes,  Admit your mistakes, seek forgiveness, work for restoration and move forward in the journey God has mapped out for you.

Don’t let a religious judgmental spirit keep you from giving God glory!  We are surrounded by judgmental people!  Most of the time when someone is judging, they are judging because they don’t want to look at or deal with something in their own life.  Don’t let this get you down.  Don’t let this get you out of the will of Your Creator.  Don’t let this get you off the track that the Master has you on.  Follow the star He has given you and discover a place where you can give Him greater glory!

Watch out for the “messed up mind” mentality!  God created you for greatness and glory! Anything less is living way below were you were created to live.  You were created by God.  You were created on purpose and for a purpose.  God’s grace is sufficient, so lean on it and allow it to flow into and through your life!

One of the things you will have to continually work on is your Spirit!  Watch, protect and keep your Spirit pure!  This is constant work and it demands that you spend time with God in His Word.  This time in His Word will guard and grow your heart.  It will challenge and change you.  The Word and prayer are two of your most important tools – use them wisely and you will be glad you did!