Yesterday evening, I attended a Christmas service that included a wonderful message and an impromptu children’s reenactment of the Christmas story. Just before the message, the pastor gave the microphone to anyone in the congregation who wanted to answer the question, “What does Christ mean to you?”
“Here’s the catch,” he said, “you have to be under 5 words.”
Two men raced around the church with microphones as hands shot up to give their testimony of what Jesus means to them. It was a simple but powerful moment for all of us as young and old, male and female gave voice to their hope in Christ. The one that got my attention was just three words,
“No wasted sorrows”
It caused me to instantly think of all the hurting people I know, widowed friends, children who lost mothers this year, the family in our area who lost their home days ago, all the people in the mountains of North Carolina still suffering and recovering from the hurricane and flooding that swept through the area, the grieving pastors caring for grieving people. The sorrows of so many are so deep and soul-rattling as to divert the heart from all perspective. Disease and suffering, loneliness and heartache, broken promises and relationships all bring their particular sorrows. But the incarnation, the entering of God into this “veil of tears,” the coming of one who would fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy.
Isaiah 9:2-7
2 The people who walk in darkness
Will see a great light;
Those who live in a dark land,
The light will shine on them.
3 You shall multiply the nation,
You shall increase their gladness;
They will be glad in Your presence
As with the gladness of harvest,
As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
4 For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders,
The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian.
5 For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult,
And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.
6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.
There will be no wasted sorrows. God will cause “all things [including sorrows] to work together for the good to those who love God, to those called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Now, we have sorrows. But don’t lose sight of the meaning of the the incarnation. Don’t lose sight of the wonder of Christmas. Our tears are in His bottle. No sorrows are wasted.
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