He Rules the World with Truth and Grace
“Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; let them sing before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.”—Psalm 98:8–9 (NIV)
It’s finally here! The day we’ve all been eyeing for weeks (if not months). It’s Christmas, and it goes without saying that there’s a unique blessedness about this day because of all it represents. But if we’re willing to be honest, it’s equally true that today also brings some unprecedented challenges.
For starters, there’s all of the added expectations. You know what I’m talking about . . . The continual images and messaging that your entire social circle must be an unbroken ring of peace and harmony; every relative and acquaintance you’ve ever had all hanging out and having a great time around a hall-of-fame holiday spread. These are the Christmas expectations, but we know they’re nowhere near the reality!
These unfulfilled expectations tend to accentuate a deepening sense of disappointment. We’re not living the lives of those being portrayed for us in the movies and commercials. We don’t have all the tinsel and trimmings of a perfect Christmas.
We lack all that luster, and because we do, our disappointment gives way to a sense of failure. “What’s wrong with me? Why doesn’t my holiday season resemble the one all these actors are portraying for me?” Before you know it, this feeling of failure leads to a soul constricting sense of condemnation.
“Okay, thanks for the honest assessment. But I’m not sure this is the message you want to be sharing with everyone on Christmas Day!”
Hang on. There’s a purpose to this preamble, because this is a lot more common than we care to admit. The joy of Christmas is often overshadowed by all of the above challenges. But as real as all this is, it doesn’t have to be our reality. There’s a truth that can set us free from the self-imposed prison of condemnation. Here’s the key: “The Lord . . . He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.”
There’s only One who is qualified to pass judgment on your life, and it’s not you. It’s the Lord who will judge everyone according to His perfect righteous justice. Understand, this isn’t just referring to that future moment in time when Jesus returns to render judgment over all the earth. It’s also true of our hearts in the here and now: “If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything” (1 John 3:20 NIV).
Our hearts are prone to condemn us, but the Lord is greater than our hearts and His assessment is all that matters. Our feelings, as real as they are to us, don’t always point us to reality. What Christ determines, does. And He’s determined we’re loved, accepted, whole, and heavenly inheritors of more than we could ever imagine.
If your heart veers into that lane of expectation, disappointment, failure, and condemnation today, remember this: The One we celebrate this day declares the opposite is true. Answer your feelings with His reality. Dwell on His rightful role as your judge, and rest in His pronouncement over your life this season and every other season of life.
Pause: How can Christmas add to our challenges in life? How should we respond?
Practice: Take note of the direction your emotions lead you in today and measure them against the truths you’ve just read.
Pray: Lord, thank You for this day—a day where we set time aside to celebrate You and what You’ve done for us. We ask You to constantly remind us of what’s true of You and of ourselves when our hearts are inclined to go in the opposite direction. Be our reality in every season of life. Amen.