“5 ways to keep Jesus from Being Crowded out of your Christmas”
Christmas is the busiest time of year, the time when we celebrate the coming of Jesus. Interestingly Jesus came at probably the busiest time in His era. Luke 2:1 & 3 tells us “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world” … “And everyone was required to go to their own town to register.” Everyone was traveling flights were booked the trains were packed Hotels were full; it was busy! Jesus came into the world when everyone was busy and there was no room for him. I believe this tells us that it is the nature of God to show up when things are busy. And if we are not intentional about creating margin in our lives and slowing down, we are prone to miss him to have no room for him in our lives just like the inn keeper.
So how do we make sure there is room for Jesus in our lives at Christmastime and always. Here are 5 ways.
1. Find a Rhythm
Exodus 20:8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
Sure, you could probably get more done if you worked a little that extra day. But isn’t that the point that maybe life isn’t about getting things done but about enjoying life and remembering what is important. That is why God gives us a rhythm. A daily Rhythm a Weekly Rhythm and a yearly rhythm of the seasons.
1 Timothy 6:17 says God gives us all things to enjoy. Yet we tend to fill our schedule up with our to-do lists. Slow down and enjoy what God has given you.
2. Create Margin
Leviticus 23:22 “’When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigner residing among you. I am the LORD your God.’”
One problem is we pack our schedules so full there is not room to breathe. I was on a zoom meeting with a service provider for a church service and the person I was meeting with had scheduled a 15-minute window to meet with me and address my concerns. First, she started a few minutes late because the last meeting ran long. And she had to cut things short and rush to the next meeting. We can do that in our own schedules we have so many things to do we run from one task to the next. When Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) those who had ignored the injured man all had noble things to do. They were busy. Think about the Samaritan who did help, that took time. To be the Good Samaritan and perhaps minister to Jesus we need to make time, to create margin so we don’t miss Gods amazing opportunities.
3. Be Alert
1 Peter 1:13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, let us set our hope on the grace to be brought to us when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.
All parents have done it at least once I’m sure, not given their full attention to their child when they were talking. The other day I was working with my youngest on enunciating and I got him to say very loudly to his pre-occupied mother “P – P – P PAY ATTENTION!”
We can judge the inn keeper in the Christmas story who turned Mary and Joseph away, but perhaps with groggy eyes late at night and a busy hotel he was not alert to the needs of a young pregnant girl going into labor? Or perhaps he was, and did the best he could with what space he had. But do you, with eyes wide open and alertness, watch other people and see how Jesus might show up through them?
Brandon Heath has a great song “Give Me Your Eyes” If we are alert and see others with the eyes of Jesus, how will it change our point of view in the season of Christmas and all year long?
4. Be Diligent
Mathew 24:46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.
Sometimes we just have to schedule the right kind of things to keep ourselves in the right frame of mind. Regular church attendance doesn’t just happen, worship of Jesus can get crowded out in a busy schedule unless we are intentional and make it a priority. But it shouldn’t stop there. Regular times of community service in a soup kitchen or something similar, and while caroling at a nursing home may not be the opportunity, we have with covid concerns we can still write Christmas cards to be delivered. How can you serve others this Christmas season and keep that community service going all year long?
5. Live Expectantly
Mathew 25:13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”
Even Christmas time can become a drudgery if we crowd out all the joy and magic with responsibility. But just like Mary who was expecting to have a child at any moment so that every kick every pain was a possibility of the baby’s coming, we can live life where every inconvenience is a possibility that Jesus is trying to show up and invade our world. Some people see a conspiracy around every corner because that is what they expect. Are you expecting Jesus to show up around every corner at any moment?
But I think the real reason many people missed Jesu arrival is because like us they were looking for the Messiah to show up in the Temple with a whole lot of Celebration. Immanuel, “God with us” (Mathew 1:22-23) chose to show up in the form of a stranger looking for a place to spend the night and give birth to a miracle. So look for Jesus in the simple, in the small and in other people.
Hebrews 13:2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.
Jesus own words reveal this truth in Mathew 25:40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
Christmas is merely a time and an opportunity to make Jesus and the celebration of His coming into our world a part of our everyday life. We try to give a little extra to those in need and love on our families a little more and have an awe and wonder of this amazing story. But all that does not have to be confined to a season or a month we can live it out all year long.
Watch the latest Christmas Message delivered by Pastor Willie Vaughan Here https://www.outathebox.org/watch
This ministry is completely funded by giving from people like you, if you have been blessed by this content and would like to see it continue and grow, please consider donating here to the ministry. https://secure.subsplash.com/ui/access/HJ438C/
We believe God will bless your generosity and Have a Merry Christmas!
