‘Twas, the Night Before Christmas, was first published in 1823 anonymously, but then attributed to Clement Clarke Moore. Some critics acclaim that it is one of the best-known verses ever written by an American. The poem has had a significant impact on our conceptions of Santa Claus and Christmas gift giving in America. Over the generations, it has become synonymous with the anticipation that children have for the presents they are so eager to unwrap on Christmas morning. Indeed, this little rhyme is the enduring metaphor of the Christmas spirit in our culture.

Not Yet

This year, our four-year-old daughter, Amelia, has been waking up every day in December and asking us to go downstairs to look and see if the gifts are under the Christmas tree. Each day, she’ll ask, “Daddy, are the presents here yet?” And I will reply, “Not yet, baby girl. Not yet.” And then usually I will say the number of days left until Christmas. “Only 12 days, only 11 days…” This excited little girl then asks us over and over again, when Christmas is coming.

As we grow older, our yearning for gifts tends to wane. We grow more accustomed to the waiting and, for most, the happiness we receive from opening presents rings hollow. The more conditioned we become to the waiting, the less enthusiasm we have. A lot of times this is not only true about gifts under a tree but our dreams and talents, as well. Each time life tells us “Not Yet,” it’s easy to become complacent. I think more dreams die, due to time than any other cause. Waiting has a way of making us lose heart. Rare is the person who can wait and still accomplish something great.

Christmas and The Wedding in Cana

Even the Christ of Christmas, himself, had to pass this test of time. Six times in the first eight chapters of the Gospel of John, either Jesus or the author comments, “Not Yet” about His life. The first time being at the wedding in Cana, where Jesus reluctantly turns water into wine. He tells His mother, “Dear Woman, that’s not our problem,” “My time has NOT YET come(John 2:4).”

What is peculiar about this picture is that He appears to be just fine attending this wedding like an ordinary Jesus (a common name in first-century Israel) with his friends just eating, drinking and being merry. However, His mother sees a problem and asks her Son to fix it. In His response, Jesus almost seems bothered by the intrusion, as if to say, “Mom, not now, I’m busy hanging out with my friends. I’m not ready to start my career as a miracle-working Savior & Messiah, yet.” We get the idea that He was perfectly at peace. He was not in a rush. Jesus was not worried or in a hurry. He was willing to wait. Christ was content waiting for His time to come.

The Greatest Lesson Jesus Never Taught

But in waiting, He did not lose sight of His cause. He remained patient and grew for twenty years before starting His purpose. Jesus then became the CEO of the most celebrated start-up of all time. No one else has changed the world like Jesus, nor have they done it so quickly. In just three short years, Jesus influenced humanity more than any other person ever to walk the face of the earth. And, somehow, Jesus was able to sit on all of His untapped God-man potentials and wait without losing focus on what He was called to do. One of the greatest lessons Jesus teaches us was never spoken. Jesus spent most of His life waiting. Waiting is not a waste of time if it makes you better. Jesus was not idle; He was getting stronger.

The value of the silent years Jesus spent waiting can be detected by the trajectory of how He emerges. Once He comes out of stealth mode, He goes “all-in” to have the highest impact that He can. Jesus let His waiting fuel His vision. And yet, He balanced His passion for saving the world with the importance of timing. It seems that Jesus waiting was both intentional and strategic. He was even tactical and waited for the perfect time to culminate His calling.

Bad Timing

In John 7:8, Jesus brothers asked him to go down to Jerusalem for the Jewish Festival of Shelters to grow His following. But, He interestingly turned them down, by saying, “You go on. I’m not going to this festival because my time has NOT YET come.” Jesus knew He ran the risk of being arrested by the religious leaders if He went to Jerusalem. And this was not Passover, which was the prophesied time that the Messiah was to die. The best plans at the wrong time can end in futility. If Jesus had gone with His brothers then and be arrested and killed, He wouldn’t have fulfilled His destiny, just because the timing was off.

Waiting is like a muscle, the more you flex it, the more it grows. Jesus had spent twenty years conditioning himself on waiting, so in this case, saying “Not Yet” to wait for the Passover was an easy decision. He knew He had more work to do. And no one rushes into dying on a cross, not even Jesus. In our own lives, navigating when to act on our calling can be a tall task. But if we leverage waiting to become wiser, it gives us clarity on when to call the plays to pursue our purpose.

Unwrap Your Gift

So this Christmas, instead of just focusing on materials gifts and the holiday hustle and bustle, I have a question for you. Do you still dream about your purpose the same way a child does about opening gifts on Christmas morning? What talent or dream can you “unwrap” this next year?

Or has your desire to accomplish God’s plans for your life gone cold?

Winston Churchill once said, “Success is going from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” It is not easy to remain in waiting without losing your passions. Could this season be a time where you rekindle what God has put in your heart to do? Or maybe you have been inwardly focused lately and are not even sure what that is.

What is God speaking to your heart to do for Him in 2018?

#Goals

In 2017, I had 4 Goals:

1. Start a Business

2. Start a Church

3. Run a Marathon

4. Write a Book.

I have to confess that this past year was a year of, “Not Yet” for me. I only accomplished one of my four goals (starting a business). My wife, Terra, and I decided it was not the right time to plant a church this past year. However, it is now our #1 goal for 2018. I actually hurt my knee while running, so I was physically unable to accomplish goal #3. For #4, I am using this blog to work on writing my book. So I took some steps on that goal, but still didn’t get it done.

Setting goals while we are waiting creates focus, even when we don’t accomplish them. Otherwise, I have found it easy to collect bad habits when being idle. So how can you use this season of your life to become a better you? What steps can you take down the path of completing your calling?

God has gifted each of us with talents and abilities, what we do with them is our gift back to Him.

Oh and a “Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night” 😉

I would love to hear about some of your 2018 goals or just some of your story in the comments below or in our community forum.