OCC Celebration: “Joy Creates Opportunity”
Sometimes it is the simplest things that deliver a significant impact to a person’s life.
An engagement ring. Keys to your first car. Keys to your first house. A newborn baby.
These are tangible, but represent so much more.
Because of the great joy they bring to these children, it gives them the opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Scripture: Matthew 28:19-20 19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of [a] all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, [b] I am with you always, [c] to the end of the age.”
We want to love people and bring joy to their lives, and thus earn the right to boldly proclaim the name of Christ.
When we are bold without love, we are a resounding gong, or clanging cymbal as the Apostle Paul described it.
If we all we do is love on people, but never share the truth, it’s like rescuing someone adrift at sea, feeding them, and setting them back out into the ocean alone.
Ask God this question: Who can I bring Joy to RIGHT here?
Maybe it is a neighbor, a coworker, or a friend from school.
It is one thing to ship a box halfway around the world, but it a whole different level to have our eyes open to the everyday opportunities right in front of us.
As we celebrate the joy spreading across the globe through Operation Christmas Child, let's cultivate a heart of gratitude.
What God does through Operation Christmas Child is amazing and worth celebrating!
