It can seem strange to connect Christmas to trails and tribulations but really we should consider that when Jesus first arrived it was not easy on those who trusted in the Lord.
The message of Christmas might be “peace on earth and goodwill toward men” but the message of Christ is “in this world, you will have trouble.” This is true because when the Lord comes, it is time to make a choice and let’s face it, the choice is not an easy one.
The peace we seek at Christmas will only come if we choose God and walk with Him in the truth. The problem is that people are conditioned to believe that there is no such thing as objective truth and that religion is rather mean because it is not accepting of sin.
That is why those people currently in their early 20s to mid-30s are rejecting Christ and not returning to church even when life events, such as marriage and childbirth, would usually cause them to return.
What many trend watchers fail to mention, however, is that at the same time we see people of the same age group who choose Jesus are more committed to their faith than previous generations. They are not looking for a shallow and superficial faith but are “sold-out” to the Lord.
Christmas is a time to remember that God keeps His promises and that we should prepare for Christ’s arrival. His coming will bring trouble because it will force a choice.
The choice is difficult to live out but it is well worth it. Read John 19 and you will see that Jesus is open about how people will treat believers in Christ but that we are not left to fend for ourselves, the Lord has given us His Holy Spirit to not only overcome but to bring true peace on earth and goodwill toward men, not just at Christmas but the whole year long.