The Approach to Christmas

We hate to remind you of the annual event that is coming, but now really is a good time to talk about our approach. Not the approach of the number of services, or how many visitors we will be looking after, but how our personal approach says a lot about our trust in God and what “efficiency” looks like.

As administrators, we have an inbuilt instinct that drives us to deliver the shortest route between tasks A and B, in the time slot between X and Y. If your diary is like mine, a lot of my time is spent in planning and trying to ensure that I’m achieving the maximum amount of work in the shortest time. I suspect that you have probably shared my frustration when the best-laid plans often don’t work out, and I struggle to reason why God has not honoured my intentions to serve Him well.

God’s view is different. He is more concerned with us having the right spirit. God never takes the shortest route between A and B, and definitely doesn’t restrict His workings to my time slot between X and Y. Efficiency of direction and speed is not what He is about. He is at work sanctifying the traveller – and frustrating our administrator’s efficiency seems to be His primary method of sanctification. Remember Joseph’s long route to becoming Pharoah’s right hand, or Paul’s remarks in Philippians 1:12 when he reminds us that the advance of the Gospel is more important than our plans.

By all means, make your plans for Christmas, follow the handy checklist courtesy of Andrew Bagwell and Christian Publishing Outreach (CPO) below, then walk in the peace and freedom that when it all falls to pieces you are not being measured by how much you have done, the detail of your plans, or the people on your team, but by the goodness and wisdom and sovereignty of God to work this new mess out for His good even when you can’t see His point of view. On our approach to Christmas it is far more about the spirit with which we work, and how we align to His purposes, than how close we managed to stick to our best-intentioned plans.

Philippians 1:12   Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel.

Every blessing

Jules Morgan
Chair of UCAN Directors