It's The Best Time Of The Year To Share The Good News

“In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!”
Luke 1:39-42

Christmas is about the spreading of Good News. The Angel visits Mary and shares good news with her. Mary, in turn, visits Elizabeth to share good news with her. Elizabeth also has good news of her own.

This is one of the best seasons of the year to share the Good News with people. When you look at studies, they say this time of the year yields the greatest amount of stress, anxiety and depression. Indeed when some people look at the holidays, they are not filled with joy, but they are saddened.

Perhaps they have lost a loved one this year. Or perhaps it reminds them of years gone by that will never come again. Whatever the case, lots of people really struggle this time of year. That means there is a lot of opportunity for Christians to bring love and joy to people who desperately need it.

When Elizabeth got into the presence of Jesus, she was filled with the Holy Spirit. This caused her to cry out praises to God and pronounce a blessing on someone else. When we get into the presence of Jesus today, we too can be filled with the Holy Spirit. The infilling of the Holy Spirit does something that is incredibly important that we don’t want to miss.

The Holy Spirit in us produces something. The Bible calls it fruit in Galatians 5. It’s the necessary reaction to having the Holy Spirit inside of you. For those that are battling depression and anxiety, being filled with the Holy Spirit is the answer.

The Apostle Paul tells us that the fruit of the Spirit is things like love, joy and peace. The world needs more of that, especially at Christmas. What better time of year than Christmas to have more love, joy and peace in the world? But this all starts with us being heralds of Good News.

Without people who are willing to share the Good News, the world will continue to be a place that is not very hospitable to those who are suffering. Without heralds shouting from the mountaintops what Jesus has done, we will continue to see the pain and anxieties of people boiling over this time of year.

Christmas is the perfect time of year to share the gospel with your friends and neighbors. If you are uneasy about sharing, pray for boldness. Ask God to give you boldness and courage to share with your friends and neighbors. Ask God to remove any obstacles keeping them from receiving the Good News with joy. Ask Him to fill you with love, joy and peace during this time to share with those around you. After all, you can’t share what you don’t have.

If you are feeling uneasy about what exactly to share, remember this - God has given you a testimony. He has done great things in your life. Share those things. Tell others what God has done for you and invite them to come to Him. Invite them to repent and put their trust in Jesus. Remember, its not your job to convert them, it’s the Holy Spirit’s job to do that. It is your job to be obedient and share. If you are faithful to do your part, God will be faithful to do His, though you may never see the fruit of it, just be faithful.

Prayer - Father, help us to be more bold this holiday season to share your Good News with our friends and family. Lord, even if they are reject you and us, we want to be obedient, so help us to do what you have asked us to do. Lord, please give us all peace and joy this holiday season, even in the midst of our suffering. Help us to rejoice and be glad for all that you have done for us. We love you and give you praise. In Jesus name we pray, amen.