Christmas is only two days away! Do you feel ready? And what does that even mean?
Being "ready" for Christmas usually means that my shopping is done, and my baking, and planning, and wrapping, and decorating. It means that I am DONE and that there is nothing left to do except enjoy the day.
That's what it means to be "ready" for the festivities of Christmas. But what about the heart of Christmas?
I have been thinking about what it means to be "ready" to observe the birth of Jesus. And I think it also is about being DONE - done trying to be good enough, perfect enough, smart enough, because we never will be. The whole reason Jesus came to the little town of Bethlehem is because we CAN'T be good enough on our own to ever deserve Heaven or His love. We need a Savior to bridge that gap.
I am ready to celebrate the coming of Jesus when I have taken that to heart - when I am DONE with being "enough" on my own strength, and willing to rest in Him, not only to get eternal life but also for the power to make daily God-glorifying, people-loving choices this side of Heaven.
I am ready to celebrate the coming of Jesus when I realize that a newborn baby in a stone manger, utterly helpless to take care of himself, is a fitting reminder of my helplessness to take care of my sin even the slightest bit.
I am ready to celebrate the coming of Jesus when I recognize that Christmas matters because of Good Friday, and because of Easter.
I am ready to celebrate the coming of Jesus when I remember that the greatest miracle of Christmas was not the angels or the star, but that the Creator of the universe put on the flesh of a humble, human baby in the boldest, most paradigm changing move of all eternity, to bring us back to Himself.
And I am ready to celebrate the coming of Jesus when I realize that His first coming is but one chapter in God's glorious rescue plan, and that the resolution, when He returns for those who have trusted Him for salvation, is yet to come.
That's what it means to be "ready" for the festivities of Christmas. But what about the heart of Christmas?
I have been thinking about what it means to be "ready" to observe the birth of Jesus. And I think it also is about being DONE - done trying to be good enough, perfect enough, smart enough, because we never will be. The whole reason Jesus came to the little town of Bethlehem is because we CAN'T be good enough on our own to ever deserve Heaven or His love. We need a Savior to bridge that gap.
I am ready to celebrate the coming of Jesus when I have taken that to heart - when I am DONE with being "enough" on my own strength, and willing to rest in Him, not only to get eternal life but also for the power to make daily God-glorifying, people-loving choices this side of Heaven.
I am ready to celebrate the coming of Jesus when I realize that a newborn baby in a stone manger, utterly helpless to take care of himself, is a fitting reminder of my helplessness to take care of my sin even the slightest bit.
I am ready to celebrate the coming of Jesus when I recognize that Christmas matters because of Good Friday, and because of Easter.
I am ready to celebrate the coming of Jesus when I remember that the greatest miracle of Christmas was not the angels or the star, but that the Creator of the universe put on the flesh of a humble, human baby in the boldest, most paradigm changing move of all eternity, to bring us back to Himself.
And I am ready to celebrate the coming of Jesus when I realize that His first coming is but one chapter in God's glorious rescue plan, and that the resolution, when He returns for those who have trusted Him for salvation, is yet to come.
I may not feel "ready" for the festivities of Christmas, but two days out, I want to focus on the readiness of my heart even more than my home. I want to be DONE with relying on my own strength to please God, DONE with preferring my own way over His, and DONE with choosing what is temporary over what is eternal.
I want to be DONE so I can enjoy Jesus and what He offers.
Salvation. Love. Peace. Rest. Forever.
Are you ready for Christmas?
I want to be DONE so I can enjoy Jesus and what He offers.
Salvation. Love. Peace. Rest. Forever.
Are you ready for Christmas?
RSS Feed
