Fix THIS!

"... (Mary) will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."

(Matthew 1:21)

(Fill in the blank)  "What this country so desperately needs fixed right now is __________________!"  It's a statement that can be answered in so many different ways: the economy, education, homelessness, the environment, immigration, political gridlock, healthcare, racism, drug addiction/trafficking, mental illness, elder care, gang violence, corruption, etc.  The list could go on and on.  It's easy to think of words to fill in the blank, isn't it?

I'm sure the people in Jesus' day could have done the very same thing.  Their list would have been different, but surely they could have done it, too.  It probably had "Get rid of the Romans" near the top of the list.  Then maybe something about the influence of foreign religions on their own worship practices.  And possibly something about the numerous sick, diseased & unclean people in their midst.  They, too, had a lot of problems that needed to be fixed.

It's interesting, however, when the angel comes to Joseph to tell him about the impending birth of Jesus... that he specifically says Jesus would "save his people from THEIR SINS!"  Think about that for a moment.  To me, that means the one word we need to fill in the blank with is... "me."

What this country so desperately needs fixed right now is ME.

Instead of looking around at all the things I think are so messed up in this state/country/world, I need to be looking inward at my own heart & life.  But there is good news, friends!  There is hope!  There is forgiveness!  There is healing & restoration!  Because there is Jesus!  (Have you spent time with him today?)