T’was the night before Christmas and all through the earth
The world did not know, it was the eve of His birth.
Many hoped and prayed for the salvation of man
For the promised deliverance of God’s holy plan.
The world for centuries have been bound by a curse
The burden known as sin from Genesis three sixth verse.

Adam & Eve had eaten from the forbidden tree
Now the world knew not what it was to be free.
The chains of sin bound all of creation
Mankind’s great need was for divine liberation.
How the Devil laughed now that man lay in his power
But God promised that Satan would know of an hour
When God’s mighty deliverer to the serpent’s great dread
Would free all humanity by crushing his head.

Yes how Satan loves to steal, kill & destroy
But God’s plan for life began with a boy.
You see, humanity needed an atonement for sin
So a relationship with God we could begin.
How the Father loves & adores His creation
But the curse of sin caused a huge separation.

God required a sacrifice to cover man’s fall
To free man from sin once and for all
There weren’t many solutions, there was really just one
God would choose to sacrifice His only Son
Yes Jesus, God’s Son, would become as a man
He would represent God, be His glorious plan.

Yes He was God, but wholly man out and in
And though tempted in all ways, would never know sin
He would suffer and die, then rise from the dead
He would pay for man’s sin, suffer in man’s stead.
With God’s glorious plan Satan could hardly contend
By Jesus’ glorious sacrifice man’s captivity would end.

Now this is no fable, no nursery rhyme!
This is the glory of God’s plan, in the fullness of time!

All heaven was abuzz with the incredible news
To become a man, the Son of God would choose
The angels’ excitement was incredibly contagious
The Child to be born was the fulfilling of the ages.
The angels were amazed, “God made lower than us?”
No wonder there was such an incredible fuss.

They could hardly contain the joys yet untold
For in the Christ child God’s plan would unfold
Gabriel, Michael and all the heavenly host,
Could barely hold back their glorious boast.
They would shout and sing to make sure they’d be heard!
Oh how hard it was to wait for God’s Word!

Then finally it came, God said “Go with good speed
Shout forth with joy – Oh yes indeed!”
The angels were surprised to whom they should speak
To shepherds with their flocks, lowly and meek.
Gabriel took charge & told the shepherds not to fear
But to rejoice for God has come near!

Gabriel announced, “Good news to all men
The Savior, the Christ is born in Bethlehem.”
“A baby in a manger can surely be found”.
Gabriel said, as the Lord’s glory shone around
Then suddenly there appeared the angelic crowd
Singing praises to God, with such beauty – and loud!

Oh what a time of praise they had
They could not remember when they’d been more glad!
They loved to shout, dance and sing
For the earth was now receiving her King
The joy and exuberance from heaven above
Was being expressed in God’s gift of love.

A son was given a child was born
That humanity need no longer mourn.
Eternal Father our Prince of Peace
There will be no end to His governments’ increase
What an occasion, join the celebrations!
For Christ Jesus has come to free all the nations!
Joy to the world we have been given a King
Now let both heaven and nature sing.

Jesus, God’s son, came as man Christmas day
A tiny baby boy, precious in every way.
At this time we remember the child Christ Jesus
Let it also be known He’s the Lord who frees us!
He is Lord of Lords and King of Kings.
To Him all praise and majesty rings.

He is God come to us to show us the way
That right-living, peace and joy we could know every day
We can have abundant life that none does deserve
By making a choice Christ Jesus to serve.

So on Christmas day let’s remember God’s plan
That by sending His Son God was reconciling man
And by choosing to follow Jesus, who came from above
We can all know the abundance of God’s holy love!

Isaiah 9:6, 7 (The Message)

“For a child has been born-for us! The gift of a son-for us! He’ll take over the running of the world. His names will be: Amazing Counselor, Strong God, Eternal Father, Prince of Wholeness. His ruling authority will grow, and there’ll be no limits to the wholeness he brings. He’ll rule from the historic David throne over that promised kingdom. He’ll put that kingdom on a firm footing and keep it going with fair dealing and right living, beginning now and lasting always. The zeal of God-of-the-Angel-Armies will do all this.”

“If everything seems under control you’re just not going fast enough.” Mario Andretti

Do you know why Mario Andretti was one of the winningest race car drivers?

I’ll tell you why…

Well, I’ll tell you one of the things that contributed to his success. I have no doubt there are myriad reasons far beyond my comprehension that made him such a celebrated driver, but I learned something about him that many are not aware of.

An associate of mine had the privilege of interviewing him after he had retired from racing. He asked Mr. Andretti why he won so many races. His reply was astonishing:

“When there was a crash on the track I trained myself to accelerate instead of braking. One of two things would happen: I’d crash or I would pass some cars. I passed cars more often than crash, and I won more races that way.”

Basically Mario Andretti taught himself not to shrink back. When something happened that could very easily cause fear, insecurity, caution, timidity, doubt or passivity, he chose to press on, to press forward, to accelerate.

I thought of this story recently when I read Hebrews 10:39:

“But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.”

So, what does it mean to shrink back? It seems to simply mean to not believe.

The consequences of shrinking back are dire, but the rewards of believing are exactly the opposite. Believing can lead to life, while shrinking back can lead to death.

We can’t afford to shrink back.

And yet, we often do don’t we? We can shrink back from believing the Truth. We can shrink back from trusting what God says is true. We can shrink back from marinating in the Word of God. We can give in to fear, insecurity, caution, timidity, doubt and passivity.

We can take our foot off the accelerator and hit the brakes of our faith.

If we hit the brakes of our faith we will crash every time. If we choose to not press on in faith we lose. If we continue to press on in faith amidst the many obstacles in our path, we win.

We are encouraged throughout scripture to believe, to press on, to persevere, to draw near to God. Why? Because the tide set against us is designed to keep us from believing – to kill our faith. The very essence of our life in God is one of faith. The righteous live by faith.

“Faith is being sure of what we hope for and being certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1

Faith is not so much belief without proof, but trust without reservation.

“Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6

It is by believing we are saved: believing the Truth of who Jesus is, what He has done for us, and who we are in Him.

So is there somewhere you are shrinking back? If there somewhere you are not trusting God? Is there somewhere you are not believing the Truth? Have you become passive, cautious, fearful, insecure, timid and full of doubt?

We can’t afford to do that. Those we love who look to us for leadership can’t afford to have us do that. Shrinking back leads to destruction. Shrinking back from believing, trusting and walking in the Truth does not end well.

We all have a choice: will be believe what God says is true, or will we believe the whisper campaign of enemy lies?

Don’t shrink back – believe the Truth. Hit the accelerator of your faith. Marinate in the Word of God. Live in community with other believers. Draw near to God, receive His encouragement and the encouragement of others.

Let’s learn from Mario Andretti and hit the accelerator of our faith in the midst of opposition. When we encounter those things in life that can intimidate us and cause fear, let’s hold on to the hope we profess and press on into God’s heart for us and through us to others.

God is real and He rewards those who seek Him. Press on – don’t shrink back.

Philippians 3:14

“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Hebrews 10:35

“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.”

Hebrews 10:22, 23

“Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”

“Hey, where’s Chris?” I inquired.

“He’s in the hospital. But he’s coming…” was the reply.

What? And then the story unfolded…

My good friend Chris had been teaching his college class when his heart began doing some funny things. These feelings were not new however. He had had these strange irregularities before. He excused himself and went to the campus medical clinic. They did an initial assessment then loaded him into an ambulance bound for the hospital.

Upon his arrival, where he rendezvoused with his wife, they sedated him into unconsciousness and jolted his heart back into a normal rhythm. When he woke from his nap he asked if everything had worked out ok with his heart. Yes indeed it had.

He then suggested to his wife that she leave for my father’s memorial service, where he would shortly join her. She relayed this remarkable story to me when she arrived at the service. Then a short time later, true to his word, Chris wandered into the service just before it started – having come straight from getting his heart jump-started at the hospital.

“What are you doing here? I asked incredulously.

“Hey, you’re my friend, I wouldn’t miss this. I’m here to support you.” was his simple reply.

His kindness overwhelmed me.

What was more overwhelming was the number of other people whose kindness, like Chris’s, powerfully touched me when they heard of my father’s transition from this life to his next in heaven. Texts, emails, skype messages, flowers, in person communications – all manner of mechanisms were used by scores of people to simply say that they cared.

Kindness is powerful.

The type of kindness I experienced recently was simply someone expressing to me their condolences for my grief, that they cared for me, and that they wanted to support me.

Simple, yet profound.

Kindness can come in many packages though. Kindness can be expressed in word and in deed. You may have heard of Random Acts of Kindness: selfless acts performed by a person or group wishing to either assist or to cheer up an individual. A Random Act of Kindness can be any act designed to contribute to the well-being of another person.

I experienced Intentional Words of Kindness. People who I knew well, acquaintances and even people I have never met, all gave me Intentional Words of Kindness. Many didn’t really know what to say, but they knew the sentiments they wanted to communicate:

I am sorry for your pain. I care that you are hurting. I care for you.

Wow. To receive a simple note expressing care really touched my heart.

It can be difficult in the midst of the demands of our busy lives to even notice the needs of others, let alone choosing to do something about it. A kind word or a kind deed in the midst of an everyday or extraordinary situation can truly touch someone’s heart. For some people, a kind deed offered by a stranger can even restore their faith in humanity.

Jesus said that a cup of water offered to someone who is thirsty is a powerful act of love. That is something we can all do. Simple kindnesses offered in the midst of everyday life can be that warming ray of sunshine bursting through the dark clouds of a stormy day.

All of us have the power to offer a kind word or a kind deed. When we do, we can be assured it will have an impact – even if the person on the receiving end shows no indication of such. The very act of offering a selfless kindness impacts us as well. Anytime we can step out of our own little world to notice the needs of another, then do something about it, makes us a richer human being.

And being rich in kindness is a far better investment than many other types of “riches”.

So who can you be kind to? Pick someone, anyone. Then perform an Intentional Act of Kindness and throw in an Intentional Word of Kindness just for good measure. I guarantee you will be richer for it, and so will the recipient of your kindness.

Yes, kindness is indeed powerful. I know because I have experienced yours – thank you.

Matthew 10:42

“And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”

Colossians 3:12

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

Ephesians 4:32

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Proverb 17:17

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.”