When an angel first appeared to the shepherds, the first words were: “Don’t be afraid! I have good news for you, a message that will fill everyone with joy.”

Christmas is a time to celebrate knowing that God is for you. It is very assuring to know that God is for you. That good news that the angel said that there is no need to be afraid, hindi ka na dapat tayo matakot sapagkat ang Diyos ay sumasa iyo.

You know what fear does to you?  Some people I know get sweating, pounding heart, shortness of breath and dry throat. Fear can damage your physical body and your judgments, productivity, abilities and paranoia.  But this Christmas, the “Emmanuel” meaning that “God is with us.” What’s more is that God is not only with you but also for you.

It does not matter if you have a bad days or good days, God loves you regardless. His love for you is unconditional even when you are in a good mood or not. You can rest assured that God does not love you lesser when you don’t perform well, because He is love and as a Father, His song is like: “I can’t stop loving you.” God will not stop loving you. It is not based on what you have done or what you have been through, but it is who He is.

There are 365 words that says: “Fear not” in the Bible which means that every single day of the year, you don’t have to be afraid. This promise is upon understanding that God is for you. Some people are afraid of God because of guilt and shame. But look at what the Bible says:

there is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. The one who fears has not been perfected in love.

Guilt makes us feel uneasy. I want to remind you that God is not angry at you. He loves you and cares about you! Jesus came to erase all your guilts and shames. Remember what the angel said: “Don’t be afraid!” and for that reason alone, you can enjoy this season. God is for you.