It’s Christmas Eve morning. The lights of the tree glisten, soft music plays in the background. As is my tradition and in order to prepare my heart for Christmas, I’m sitting with a cup of tea reading the Bible chapters of the story of Jesus’s birth.
Every year, I’m struck anew by the points of both fear and obedience. Several times, angels say “Fear not” or “Do not fear.” And I smile because the only reason to speak that encouragement is that there will be reason to humanly fear.
But God is present so fear has no place.
I think about the declarations to Zacharias (Luke 1) and Elizabeth, to Joseph (Matthew 1adn 2) and Mary (Luke 1), to the shepherds (Luke 2), and to the wise men (Matthew 2).
But this year, another picture crosses my mind.
One of the most heart-wrenching pictures of Christmas is that there was no room for Mary and Joseph in the inn. (Luke 1)
An ageless quandary is raised over the question so many people have asked and continue to ask.
Is there room for Jesus?
In life
In relationships
In jobs
In church
In the home
Have you ever seen the spatial demonstration with a jar, some sand, and a number of large rocks? If someone poured sand in the jar first and then added the rocks nothing fit well together. But, if the opposite was done by adding the large stones and then the granules, everything settled in nice and neat.
This is what God reminded me of as I read from the book of Luke this morning.
The busyness of life can be overwhelming. So many things “need” to be packed into Every. Single. Moment. Of. Every. Single Day.
And yet God sent Jesus to give us a full life. Not full of stuff, but full with Him.
When I try to push all of my daily commitments into the fifteen or sixteen hours I’m awake, frustration takes over; fear mounts that I might let someone down; lies play through my head and tell me I’ll never get anything right.
But, if I first make room in my day for God, the items I need to do are accomplished, my heart is calmer, my mind is more organized, and what I can’t get to waits until another day.
Just as the question of room came all those many years ago in Nazareth (Luke 2), it still comes today. Songs have been written; people have fretted over it.
Do I have room in my life for Jesus?
I’ll tell you from experience, unless I make time for Him, I will try to pour everything else into a day before I focus on God, the Christ, the Greatest Gift of all.
I don’t want to fit Jesus into my life. I want Him first and let Him deal with the other details He knows I need to commit to each day.
It’s the only way. It’s the best way. For Jesus is the way.
Merry Christmas.
Photo Credit: Pro Church Media
