11-29-17 Life is Like a Christmas Tree
ife Is Like a Christmas Tree :: By Dale V. Nobbman
This Christmas try to take a few minutes out of your hectic schedule to enjoy the scent and beauty of a freshly-cut and decorated Christmas tree—perhaps your own tree at home, and as you gaze upon it, ponder to yourself how “Life Is Like a Christmas Tree.”
The Christmas tree is one of the most familiar symbols of every Christmas season. A decorated tree adds beauty to the holiday and brings hope of great treasures beneath its branches for the little ones on Christmas Day.
But have you ever thought of the Christmas tree as being symbolic of real life? The next time you look upon a Christmas tree to admire its beauty—see if you can gain a fresh perspective on living a Christian life at the same time.
From just a few feet away, take a good long look at a beautifully decorated Christmas tree, and at the same time imagine the tree as being our world.The former roots of that tree represented the very beginning of civilization.The trunk of the tree represents the growth of civilization over time, until it spread to all corners of the earth, just like the branches of the tree spreading out in every direction.
Imagine then the large circumference of branches at the bottom of the tree as representing the broad societal base of poor people in the world. The center, slightly smaller portion of the tree, represents the lower and upper middle classes. Occupying the top rungs of society, as represented by the smaller branches at the top of the tree, are the relatively small number of rich people in our world.
Imagine next that the ornaments on the tree are the various cities and countries of the world. They come in various sizes, and some of them are very beautiful places and some not as much. Then imagine the abundant needles on the branches and also the lights on the tree as being the people in our Christmas tree world. The needles of the tree represent the large non-Christian population of the world.
Try as you might to decorate and “brighten” those sometimes soft, but often times prickly and irritating needles, just take a look behind the branches into the inner depths of the tree and you will find only darkness and emptiness. The beautifully decorated needles and branches put out no glowing light, because their beauty is merely a surface beauty attempting to hide the emptiness within. It requires “lights” to really illuminate the decorated tree and make our Christmas tree world a thing of beauty.
The lights on the tree are the Christians in our Christmas tree world. Compared to the non-Christian population of the world they are rather few in number. But as you closely examine the tree you will not find the Christians all bunched together, separating themselves from the rest of society. Instead you find them scattered throughout the world doing God’s work in the places He has chosen for them to serve and witness for Him.You can easily distinguish the Christians in our Christmas tree world by their inward as well as outward glow, for the light in them has removed the original darkness in their lives, which was caused by the sin nature found in each one of us. The ability of Christians to spread light and enlighten the world is only provided by the Holy Spirit within them, placed there from the moment they accepted Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as their Savior and Lord of their lives.
Christians are God’s lights in this world for making our world a better place to live joyful lives. The more Christians in our Christmas tree world, the more beautiful the lighted tree. Now you may be asking yourself exactly where God and Jesus are located in our Christmas tree world. Well, God is there at the very top of our Christmas tree world.
There at the top of the tree is where you find the most beautiful decoration of all. It is there—above all else, where all eyes turn toward sooner or later as we view a beautiful Christmas tree. Yes, God is there, up above, looking down on His creation, able to see absolutely everything going on in His world, and seeing to it that all things work together in accordance with His divine will and eternal plan.
God watches over the rich and the poor alike, the Christians and the non-Christians alike, the small to large cities and countries alike, and over His entire world. And Jesus is represented by the power plug in our Christmas tree world, for He indeed is the Light of the world.
Jesus Christ makes the difference between light and darkness, between lights and all the other decorations in our tree world, and only through Jesus can your own personal light be lit—and that only happens when you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior.
In conclusion, simply remember that it matters “not” what your physical location or personal wealth is anywhere in God’s world, because God loves you regardless and is watching out for you no matter what your situation is in life. What does matter is that you have received the light of Jesus Christ within you, which blots out the darkness of all your sins through your belief in Him.
God’s pathway to salvation and eternal life in heaven is found only through His Son, Jesus Christ, and Jesus is our Heavenly Father’s special Christmas and Resurrection “gift” offered equally to all of us. All we need to do individually is “accept” His free gift.
So, seek and find the power plug for your life in our Christmas tree world. Plug it in and then begin letting your light shine brightly in your life—and then share that light with others. Now, hopefully you can see how “Life is Like a Christmas Tree.”
Wishing you ALL a very blessed and MERRY CHRISTMAS this year!
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