Plugging into the Season

This child now weak in infancy
Our confidence and joy shall be.
The power of Satan breaking.
Our peace eternal making.

—Break Forth, O, Beauteous Heavenly Light

He may have entered the world as a fragile baby, but Jesus had within Him His Father's awesome power. For those who make the Christian journey, we can know that same power—the power of Christ, working within us.

Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing...."

—John 15: 4 & 5

When Jesus shared this teaching, He was speaking to groups who understood about agricultural concerns. Today, speaking to commercialized holiday shoppers, His analogy might read something like this:

Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. No bulb can bear light by itself; it must remain in the light string. Neither can you bear light unless you remain in Me. "I am the light string; you are the bulbs. If a man or woman remains in Me and I in them, they will bear much light; apart from Me you have no power...."

Why do we need power? To do anything...anything Christlike, that is—and that is the goal, isn't it? Being plugged in to Christ—reading His Word, walking in faith, doing what His Word tells us to do—means that we can be like Christ and be light in the otherwise dark world.

"He will bring us goodness and light."

—Do You Hear What I Hear?

He is our power within—"our confidence," as the hymn puts it. When you go about the day-to-day, in whose confidence are you resting? In whose power are you operating? Yours or His?? Power isn't just for the tough days (although, where would we be without His power on the tough days!?), it's for all our days, no matter what happens.

Need another example? Consider Jesus' mother, Mary. There's a powerful song Amy Grant song out there that you aren't going to hear on the local "Lite" Christmas stations. It's about what this young teenage mother might have been pondering before the birth of the Savior. Her plea? "Help me be strong, help me be, help me...."

Do You wonder as You watch my face
If a wiser one should have had my place?
But I offer all I am
For the mercy of your plan.
Help me be strong, help me be, help me

Breath of Heaven, hold me together...
Be forever near me, Breath of Heaven.
Breath of Heaven, lighten my darkness
Pour over me your holiness for You are holy
Breath of Heaven....

—Breath of Heaven

We can't do anything without Him. So let's make sure that we're plugged in, ready to shine our light, so the whole world will know He is Lord!

Christ is the Lord!
With saint and seraph praising,
His pow'r and glory evermore proclaim!
His pow'r and glory evermore proclaim!

—O Holy Night

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Jesus—Not just the reason for the season,
but our eternal season of reason.

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You can follow my Countdown to Advent-ure posts, from now through Christmas Day, at my Mothers Of Preschoolers Mentor Mom blog, In-between time.
(Click on the nativity picture above to visit.)