By Paula Childers
Tonight I ended up at LifeChurch in Midwest City and "Because of You" was the title of the message. It got me thinking about the difference people make in my life. I recently finished my Christmas cards and I'm now in the process of sending them out. As I reflected on this one phrase I thought back through all the messages I wrote and all the people I sent cards to and I realized I could have started each card with this simple phrase: "Because of You". There are an endless number of "Because of You" statements I could make. Here are a few:
Because of Jesus I'm alive and have hope.
Because of the Grace Church family I am closer to Christ.
Because of Pastor Jeremy I have the privilege of praising God with a sincere heart every Sunday.
Because of Pastor Steve I hear the heart of God to His people every week.
Because of Pastor Gretchen I have the opportunity to have a mini-date with my husband free of charge as we worship our Lord together.
Because of my husband I know what a good marriage is like.
I could go on forever. My challenge to you this Christmas season is to share your "Because of You" statements with your loved ones. During your devotional time, take some time to meditate on "Because of Christ...". It is amazing how full it makes me as I think upon all those I love and the deep impact they have made on my life. I pray you receive the same blessing.