Take a moment to reflect upon the words from the fourth stanza of this profound hymn:
Take time to be holy, Be calm in thy soul;
Each tho’t and each motive beneath His control;
Thus led by His Spirit to fountains of love,
Thou soon shalt be fitted for service above
As Thanksgiving and Christmas fast approaches, so does anxiety, stress, frustration and exhaustion. There is much to be done. Preparation takes time. Shopping takes time. Entertaining takes time. Getting adequate rest takes time. Prayer and worship takes time. The very seasons that should bring joy, quiet time for reflection, peace and calm often leave our heads spinning, our hearts racing with time constraints, commercialization and pressure to get things done.
Determine right now to put your priorities in order this season. As the hymn suggests, be calm in your soul by taking time for that which is holy. Put God first by spending time each day reading his word and through prayer asking him to take control of your body mind and soul. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you put order and purpose into your life. Devise a plan of action that puts God first, establish a reasonable schedule by planning ahead to get things done and stick to the plan. Take note that there is no indication that Jesus, as busy as he was and as much as he accomplished, ever got in a hurry. Yet, he was always right on time in every aspect of his life.
Letting the Holy Spirit control our lives daily will fill our hearts with praise and thanksgiving. With the Holy Spirit in charge, we will be focused on the true meaning of Christmas and sharing Christ and His love with others rather than being distracted by all of the secular stuff that appeals to our greed and selfishness.
This Season, “Take time to be holy, be calm in thy soul.
In His Love,
Charles
