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When God chose to enter this world as a human baby, He chose to forever unite Himself with His creation. A more intimate and total identification is simply not possible. I find this astounding! Our Creator left His high and lofty place and did not just appear to us but became one of us. We call this the incarnation, God made flesh in the person of Jesus, our Messiah. "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God... All things came into being through Him... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us."
As you consider the implications of this wonderful truth, allow me to encourage you to take it a step or two further.
This same God who was born as a baby in an animal's feeding trough is alive and present in our world today. In the first century, He dwelt among us as one of us but today He dwells among His creatures by dwelling in each of us who believe. Listen to the Apostle Paul, "If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature, the old things have passed away and new things have come." "I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me; and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who delivered Himself up for me." This too is an incarnation. Jesus is, right now, reaching out to His creatures through you and me. Wow!
Christmas time should inspire us emulate Jesus, take a risk, step out of ourselves, and connect with those around us through the love of Christ.
There are as many ways to do this as there are people. The key is having a heart that's willing. Understand who Christ has made you to be and choose to open yourself to be used of Him. When you are willing, He will literally give you all that you need to touch another life. In fact it won't be you doing the touching but Jesus touching through you.
So, how do you cultivate a willing heart? I believe it starts with prayer. When we ask God to let us see people and circumstances the way He sees them, He forms in us a compassion for others that can compel us to action. I also think it's important to tell God that you want Him to touch others through you. Like the prophet once said, "Here I am Lord, use me." As you spend time talking to God and learning to hear His voice, it will become easier to know what He wants of you. As you then choose to act on the things He asks of you, you will discover that Christ can and will work through you.
My prayer for you this Christmas season is that you will make this beautiful discovery and that your life will be forever blessed because of it.
Let me ask one more thing of you. As you spend time in prayer this season, please talk to God about giving to the needs of our church. We are presently about ten percent behind in terms of budgeted giving and are praying that the Lord make up this deficit before we have to make cuts to staff support or ministry expenses. Our spiritual family, our church, belongs to Jesus and we trust Him to provide what is needed to accomplish His purposes. Thank you for your prayerful consideration of these matters.
May our Lord, Jesus Christ, be honored and glorified in all we do and say and may each of us be blessed by an acute awareness of His constant presence and guidance. Amen!
From me to you,
