Thursday, December 11, 2008

Prepare Him Room

Christmas is the celebration of the good news that the amazing, all powerful, omniscient God, the creator of the universe chose to come in human likeness so that we may have an abundant eternal life.
Philippians 2:5b-7
..Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

Jesus could have chosen to come to earth as a popular rich King but He chose to come in a humble way as an unknown to let us all know that He identifies with all of humanity. There was no room for the King of Kings anywhere that He had to be born in a lowly manger.
Luke 2:6-7
While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.


The life of Jesus even from His birth was one of sorrow - people rejected Him or crowded Him out of their lives.
Isaiah 53:3
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Could it be that even we who have embraced Him sometimes live our lives not esteeming Him who gave up all the joys and comforts of heaven for our sake? There are many things that possibly crowd out Jesus from our hearts and lives and leave Him with little or no room. These things could include busyness, anger, unforgiveness, bitterness, disappointment, doubt, self pity, selfishness.. When Jesus is not in the centre of our hearts, we create room for entanglements.

This Christmas, its time to clean up our hearts and lives and prepare Him room! Its time to get rid of all entanglements that draw us away from having Him at the centre and whole of our hearts and minds and lives. When we are entangled and things of this world crowd our heart, we are violating the first and greatest commandment that the Lord gave us.
Matthew 22:36-38
Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.

The heart is the centre and core of our being and if we honor God with all our heart and mind, then we will have true joy! We can get rid of all entanglements and get Jesus to fill our whole hearts by reading and obeying His word, confessing sin, examining our heart, guarding what we set our affections on and living according to truth rather than feeling.
Proverbs 4:23
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.


How is your heart this season? Is it crowded with the busyness or worry or doubt or pain or anger.. that Christ is moved to the periphery? An old medieval Christmas poem says "Though Christ a thousand times in Bethlehem be born, if He's not born in you, your heart is still forlorn". Prepare Him room in your heart this season by getting rid of all entanglements and crown Him the King of your whole heart and experience the joy of knowing and living for Him!
John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth
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