During the holidays, it's important to not be fooled by the sparkle of the season. If you are, you might just miss the substance of Christmas. As Christians, we should be people of substance — both in character and spirit — rather than individuals who just produce sparkle. In the same way, the birth of Christ was anything but spectacular; rather, it was all about the substance of the event. When life doesn’t seem like it’s sparkling, remember that it’s all about God’s perfect timing and circumstances (Luke 2:1-3; Micah 5:2). We must trust in the substance of His promise for our lives, even when things don’t seem to be happening the way we’d like (Luke 2:6-7). Instead of looking for “returns on our investments,” we should continue to trust God’s process and narrative, as well as be faithful in the basics (Luke 2:10-11; Romans 12:12). If we miss the substance of His purposes, we will miss the sparkle that comes with the celebration (Luke 2:13-15)!