Stay in God's Grip!
  • Home
  • Todd's Blog
  • Remember Me When
  • Contact

 While in God's Grip!

Being Nice ~ Our Advent Journey

12/5/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
“As for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.”
~ 2 Thessalonians 3:13

​
While growing up, as we neared Christmas morning, there seemed to be increased emphasis on how "good" we were behaving when I was a child. I can even remember my parents telling me to, "be nice, or Santa Claus won't bring you any presents."

I knew that was true because my father actually received a lump of coal one year for Christmas as a child.

I have to admit, even aa a parent the whole "naughty" and "nice" approach to daily living seemed to have some real power over my own children at Christmastime.

You know the song, "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," and "you better watch out!"

The whole idea that your behavior would result in whether you would get presents or a lump of coal in your stocking, was a clear understanding of what would result if you were good or bad.

It's funny how as children we can manipulate our daily living practices to gain presents, but when scripture asks us to be good to one another, or even to love one another, we somehow forget how to do just that.

"He sees you when your sleeping. He knows when you're awake," puts us in the holiday spirit as we sing the words as the song plays on the radio, but before there was this jolly old elf, there was an omnipotent God who is already present for every moment!

While we may find that we are in the first week of Advent, perhaps we should take these words to heart as the guide to living out the remaining days of our life!

The promise of eternal life should help to sustain our hope, and privide the envouragement that we may need to live out these words. Knowing that we are always part of God's presence as we live out these words, not in hope of ending up on a list of nice people, but as the instruments of the living Christ, should be what moves us to live out these words each day.

Stay in God's grip!

​G. Todd Williams (c) 2017
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Rev. G. Todd Williams lives in the Houston metro area and is a Hospice Chaplain at Essential Hospice, Webster, Texas, and is an ordained Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) pastor.

    He serves as the Stated Supply to Westminster Presbyterian Church, Galveston, Texas.

    His new book, "Remember Me When..." is available through Chalice Press.

    Archives

    August 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    December 2021
    July 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017

    RSS Feed

  • Home
  • Todd's Blog
  • Remember Me When
  • Contact