An Invitation to Freedom, December 15
By Karen Tripp
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger (Luke 2:15-16 NIV).
On that first Christmas, there were some shepherds on the hills outside of Bethlehem who received a special invitation, so they would not miss Christmas. An angel appeared and invited them to Jesus’ Birthday Party. To make sure they understood the immensity of this invitation, a whole choir of angels filled the sky, singing praises to God. You have to admit, that is quite an invitation!
What if the shepherds, after being invited by angels to Jesus’ Birthday Party, decided to stay put with their sheep, and not show up for it?
You may be thinking this is a crazy question. Who in their right mind would be invited by a horde of angels to meet the Christ child—and turn down the invitation?
Who, you ask? Well, some Christmases—me. And maybe some Christmases—you. Have you ever woken up in January thinking, “I missed it. I missed connecting with the awe and wonder of the gift of the Christ child this Christmas!”?
Some years, missing the true experience of Christmas might have been due to life’s difficulties, like grief, illness, or financial struggles. Regardless of the external reason, I was too focused on me and my world to focus on the miracles of Christmas in my life. Yet, if there is ever a time to need the wondrous renewal and rejuvenation that can come with Christmas, it’s when we are struggling with grief, illness, money or hecticness. And certainly, cancer.
We need that spark, that recognition that Jesus is more than the one-time gift of a Savior, but a gift we can turn to each day, to get through life. Jesus Himself invites us, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36 NIV).
Turning towards Christ each day brings the true freedom this scripture is speaking of. Think about this. Jesus freed you from sin and death. Imagine living for one day with no fear of death and no fear your actions might cause your Heavenly Father to turn away from you. Then do you think you would find freedom from other things, too? How about worry, bitterness, jealousy, guilt, anxiety—or even cancer? None of these can touch that unexplainable, awe-inspiring place within us which is Christ. That’s Christ within me. (See Colossians 1:27.)
Knowing that God is bigger than your cancer does not come with the certainty that He will shrink the tumor, raise your cell counts or remove every cancer cell from your body once and forevermore. (Although, He might.) God is bigger than your cancer, because cancer cannot touch that unstoppable, peace-delivering, strength-providing, eternal place that is Christ within you.
So, this Christmas, like every Christmas, the angels are inviting you to come and see the newborn King. They are inviting you to come and celebrate the Savior who has bought you His true, unstoppable freedom. Don’t let cancer keep you from celebrating your freedom that comes only from Christ. Oh come, let us adore Him!
Pray: Jesus, all praises to You for the sweet freedom You have placed in my life. In the midst of cancer, it is so hard not to focus on myself. So, I ask You to drag my thoughts away from thoughts of me and place them on the splendor of Christmas and the unstoppable freedom You have brought into my life. Through You I am free indeed! Amen.
Your Turn: Listen to Matt Maher's version of, "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," and join the angels in singing, “Glory to the newborn King!” Don't give the devil the satisfaction of distracting you from the celebration of the Christ Child and the gift of freedom He brings.
Karen Tripp, MS, LMFT, Cancer Caregiver
Karen is the Executive Director of Cancer Companions, the premiere national Christian cancer ministry (https://www.cancercompanion.org). Her roles have included authoring several Christian books including God is Bigger Than Your Cancer and working as a licensed marriage and family therapist. She is a daughter of a colon cancer survivor. Karen uses her experience to teach how to step into another person’s struggle to help build their faith while strengthening your own.
Cancer Companion’s vision for the future is for every person impacted by cancer to know the hope, love, and grace of Jesus and that every oncology team has included faith in their treatment toolbox. By 2033, Cancer Companions will provide 5 million engagements through cancer prayers, scriptures and interactions to those impacted by cancer. Engagements include; social media outreach, e-newsletters, prayer team requests, 30 days of Cancer Prayer event, and volunteer connections.
To learn more about our ministry and the services we provide visit our website by clicking here.
