Christmas story…read. Food…eaten. Desserts…demolished. Dishes…cleaned. Pictures…snapped. Presents…opened. Torn wrapping paper…bagged. Naps…taken. Traveling…completed. Family…loved on. Now what?
The Christmas season begins weeks and sometimes months before Christmas day. So much anticipation, purchasing, and craziness happen before that special day. Parties, children out of school, gift wrapping, decorating, and replacing burned out tree bulbs are just part of the whole deal. But now it is the day AFTER Christmas. Now what?
Some families have already made their way out to the malls and surfed their way onto the Internet for the now famous “After Christmas Day” sales. Some who are already so tired of the red and green and tinsel and ornaments have quickly and mysteriously boxed up any evidence that Christmas ever existed. Empty boxes are in the garage ready for the dump run tomorrow. I guess “getting back to normal” is the goal. Now what?
What is normal? Is it just getting back to work and into the regular fast-paced routines? Maybe it is getting our houses “back in order.” What if you don’t even like what normal means to you? If so, going back to it could be very depressing. I want to encourage you to fight for a new normal in your life. This may mean spending more time with your wife and children. It may mean spending more money on things that really matter. It may mean spending more effort on activities that make a significant spiritual difference. It may mean spending less time away from home, less money on us, and less time away from God’s word. How will your new normal look? If your new normal is only temporary, it isn’t normal at all. It’s just something you try for a season with no serious long-term expectation.
So, I have some advice for you if you are interested. Getting back to normal for many of us, including myself, means establishing a new set of norms in our lives. Honestly, if we sit down and think through where we’ve been this past year we can identify areas needing change. The only way we can significantly and permanently change these areas is with the help of God. It really begins with a term no one enjoys: surrender. Significant and permanent change happens in our lives when we surrender to God’s design and purpose for us. At that point, our values change, our priorities align, and we become spiritually productive. God honors people who surrender to Him. Will that be your new normal going forward? Forget about the twinkling lights and stockings. Will your new normal dramatically influence others around you to seek the hope that you have in Christ?
I think the Apostle Paul said it best when he said, “…whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31b). Does this verse define your normal? It should. I can’t want to see how God will use people who are totally surrendered to His design and purpose for their lives!