Keep it simple

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” Luke 2:11 NIV

As a running coach, I’m often asked what the secret is to running a good marathon without hitting the wall at mile 20 or feeling like you've been hit by a Mack truck upon reaching the finish line. And my response is always very simple, “Get your weekly base mileage up and keep it up.” And while I will then expound on that tip and give more details, I like to keep it simple from the beginning so a runner will understand the amount of time and energy it takes to complete a 26.2 race with a smile on their face.

And you know, in this busy season of Christmas when you and I might be rushing around to get that perfect gift, decorate our homes just-so, and fulfill every one of our holiday traditions, keeping the message simple should be our first priority. You see, while the world sees Christmas as merely a festive time for family, fun and food, we, as believers, know the true meaning of Christmas and should make spreading this message in a way people will understand our number one mission. And the message of Christmas is simple... “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you..” Did you get that? The “Messiah, the Lord” came to you! You the sinner, you the lost and you the undeserving! He came to us! This is the message you and I are to share!

So let us not lose sight of that simple message as we go about our holiday preparations my friend. And let us look for opportunities to share that message with the world. After all, Jesus is the true reason for the season... plain and simple.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the simplicity of Christmas. You sent your one and only Son to be born of flesh that He might one day die for our sins to give us eternal life. Oh Lord, help us to keep our eyes and hearts focused on celebrating the birth of the Messiah that we would be bold in sharing the simple message with the lost at a time when they might be most likely to hear it. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen.

Happy Running!!!

Until You