More Room
December 28, 2015
Luke 2:7 ". . .She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them."
Having just come away from celebrating Christmas, I will ask you a question. Did you make room this Christmas for Him? Did you make a concerted effort to include Christ in the majority or all of your Christmas plans and celebrations? While you might be quick to answer in the affirmative, did you truly make enough room for Jesus or could you have done better. The Innkeeper, the character in the story of the birth of Jesus, did not have enough room, hence the need for the stable and manger. Sure he might not have been expecting the birth of a king, and if he was expecting Him then he would have made SURE to have enough space. But the Innkeeper wasn't looking out for His Savior and therefore did not have enough room. I will ask you the question again, in consideration of the Innkeeper. Did you prepare enough room, in advance, in excitement of your King?
If you read the birth story of Jesus between the different gospels you get a full and vivid picture of the characters involved. Without me hashing it from the beginning, you'll recall the many characters: angels, wise men, shepherd, the keeper of the inn, Mary, Joseph, the witnessing animals. This list includes likely and unlikely characters and I would suggest you parallel yourself with one of these characters. Which one most described you this Christmas. Were you a shocked shepherd? Were you a seeking wise man? Were you a busy inn keeper? Were you a by-standing animal? Were you a patient and diligent Joseph? Were you a willing Mary? Maybe you were a messenger angel. All the characters played a unique role in the story of Christmas and I'm sure you were like more than one or two of them at times. Which character did you attempt to be like this Christmas? I would suggest we all fell a little short of truly honoring the birth of Christ.
This gives you an opportunity for reflection and determination. Evaluate your actions over this most recent celebratory season of the birth of our Savior and determine how you want to live your life going forward. Me, personally, I fall into the busy keeper of the inn role. This is not one role I am proud of but life gets busy and my life tends to get filled up. I don't intentionally fill up my rooms, but I also don't purposely set a side a place for Him in every area. This gives me, and you, an opportunity to do better in every facet. We can determine which character we'd like to be like, who we want to be. I know who I want to be but life gets in my way. What gets in the way of who you want to be? Don't lie to yourself, because there is something that keeps you from being that person. Maybe you've never thought of it before; maybe you've never imagined who you should be like. If you don't intentionally be somebody you'll accidentally be someone you don't like.
The Lord appreciates an intentional person, someone who wants to be someone in His story, this story of life. There is room for you to be someone and you get to make more room for this opportunity. There is more room for Him in your life. There is more room than you realize and this is going to be huge, your expanded role.
Don't take my word for it; look it up: Matthew 1:18-24, Luke 2:1-21
Luke 2:7 ". . .She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them."
Having just come away from celebrating Christmas, I will ask you a question. Did you make room this Christmas for Him? Did you make a concerted effort to include Christ in the majority or all of your Christmas plans and celebrations? While you might be quick to answer in the affirmative, did you truly make enough room for Jesus or could you have done better. The Innkeeper, the character in the story of the birth of Jesus, did not have enough room, hence the need for the stable and manger. Sure he might not have been expecting the birth of a king, and if he was expecting Him then he would have made SURE to have enough space. But the Innkeeper wasn't looking out for His Savior and therefore did not have enough room. I will ask you the question again, in consideration of the Innkeeper. Did you prepare enough room, in advance, in excitement of your King?
If you read the birth story of Jesus between the different gospels you get a full and vivid picture of the characters involved. Without me hashing it from the beginning, you'll recall the many characters: angels, wise men, shepherd, the keeper of the inn, Mary, Joseph, the witnessing animals. This list includes likely and unlikely characters and I would suggest you parallel yourself with one of these characters. Which one most described you this Christmas. Were you a shocked shepherd? Were you a seeking wise man? Were you a busy inn keeper? Were you a by-standing animal? Were you a patient and diligent Joseph? Were you a willing Mary? Maybe you were a messenger angel. All the characters played a unique role in the story of Christmas and I'm sure you were like more than one or two of them at times. Which character did you attempt to be like this Christmas? I would suggest we all fell a little short of truly honoring the birth of Christ.
This gives you an opportunity for reflection and determination. Evaluate your actions over this most recent celebratory season of the birth of our Savior and determine how you want to live your life going forward. Me, personally, I fall into the busy keeper of the inn role. This is not one role I am proud of but life gets busy and my life tends to get filled up. I don't intentionally fill up my rooms, but I also don't purposely set a side a place for Him in every area. This gives me, and you, an opportunity to do better in every facet. We can determine which character we'd like to be like, who we want to be. I know who I want to be but life gets in my way. What gets in the way of who you want to be? Don't lie to yourself, because there is something that keeps you from being that person. Maybe you've never thought of it before; maybe you've never imagined who you should be like. If you don't intentionally be somebody you'll accidentally be someone you don't like.
The Lord appreciates an intentional person, someone who wants to be someone in His story, this story of life. There is room for you to be someone and you get to make more room for this opportunity. There is more room for Him in your life. There is more room than you realize and this is going to be huge, your expanded role.
Don't take my word for it; look it up: Matthew 1:18-24, Luke 2:1-21
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