Genuine relationships with people are important. We were not meant to live life alone. We are better together. Marriage and family relationships were created by God. And the church is God’s design and plan for community. But in this dark world, many of our core relationships have been broken. The wounds we carry are deep. Life is hard. Each of us will walk through seasons of suffering, pain, and loneliness. At times, we feel hopeless. We can easily be led into despair.
With all the connection that technology offers us, many of us feel alone. We can be surrounded by people and feel lonely. We can interact with thousands on facebook, twitter, and instagram. We can connect with people around the world within seconds. All this connectedness still can leave us feeling isolated and lonely. Columnist David Brooks writes: “The suicide rate has surged to a 30-year high — a sure sign of rampant social isolation.”
There is a desperate craving in our hearts. We can search for meaning and purpose in the pursuits of friendships, relationships, marriage, family, pleasure, money, career, and more. All these things will leave you feeling empty. Nothing on this earth can satisfy your soul. It’s never enough.
King Solomon is known for his wisdom. In his lifetime, he pursued everything . . . education, agriculture, construction, and romance. Nothing could satisfy. At the end of his life, he said all these pursuits were meaningless, empty, a chasing of the wind. In his book of regrets, he concludes with this simple advice: Fear God.
In our hearts, there is a yearning and a longing for the One true living God who created us. God is here, and he is not silent. His name is Emmanuel, God with us. God came to dwell among us. Jesus was born on Christmas to die for our sins and provide hope and forgiveness. Acts 17 tells us that God appointed the very times and places that we lives so that we might reach out and find Him.
This Christmas season, I pray you hear the voice of God calling out to you. You are loved. You are not alone. There is hope in Jesus. Reach out and find him. He is not far away. He is near. God is with us. This is the hope of Christmas.
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