MAKE ROOM
(5-minute read)
Beyond the festive hustle and the trappings of the season, let’s not forget what Christmas is really all about. Surely, it is not about the lifeless nativity scenes on display, or the re-enactment of the events leading up to the birth of Jesus. It is also not about being caught up in a frenzy of festive shopping and hanging out in malls decked out in lavish, larger than life decorations. Neither is Christmas an annual church event that is promoted door-to-door by zealous Christians in the hope that some will respond and find Jesus through modern skits and songs.
To believers, Christ cannot be a seasonal observance. If we only talk about Jesus at Christmas, we will miss vast opportunities to share His message of hope and love with people in their time of need. The true essence of Christmas begins with us making the Christ of Christmas real in ordinary human interactions and in the mundane realities of life. Unless we integrate Christ into our life experiences, we will not be able to testify of the transformative power of His Word.
Here are three ways that you can make Christmas different this year:
OPEN THE DOOR OF YOUR HEART
Inviting people into our lives is not a one-time event because relationships thrive on the basis of inviting and being invited into conversations and shared experiences. It is the same for our relationship with Jesus. By proactively engaging Jesus in our lives, we deepen our connections with Him and allow Him to edit our biographies day by day.
At the same time, we must be aware of how we can inadvertently leave Jesus outside the doors of our hearts. Pride, self-reliance, past hurts and disappointments can cause us to over-rely on human reasoning at the expense of trusting God’s intimate interest in our well-being. If we are not careful, we can fall into the habit of putting God’s love on scrutiny to test His love for us. In so doing, we alienate the One who died on the Cross for us, leaving Him standing outside the doors of our hearts.
How do we keep our hearts open to Jesus? Here’s a clue: “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in...”. (Revelations 3:20). Invite Him in – everyday and as often as you want Him to stay.
MAKE SPACE IN YOUR HEART
Misplaced priorities are like bulky furniture taking up valuable real estate in our hearts. Psalm 10:4 offers an explanation for this: ‘In his pride the wicked man does not seek Him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.’ If we do not conscientiously allow God’s Word to filter our thoughts, or exercise prudence in choosing the company that we keep, we can clutter our hearts with falsehood and self-righteousness. When this happens, our hearts become hardened against correction and accountability.
Therefore, we are warned, ‘Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it’. (Proverbs 4:23).
Whoever and whatever we allow to occupy our hearts become the visible aspects of our behaviour that people see. To make space in our hearts for Jesus is to make room for Him on His terms. It is to let God’s Son, sent to us as the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) remain in our hearts whether we are experiencing joy, pain, love or loneliness.
Hebrews 12:1-2 teaches us to ‘throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.’
If we only celebrate the season of giving, the gifts and the benefits of our relationship with Jesus yet find it hard to even bring up the Name of Jesus around Christmas, it is very telling how much space He occupies in our hearts when it is not Christmas.
CREATE SPIRITUAL ATMOSPHERE IN YOUR HEART
People today talk about climate change and how it affects them personally. Interestingly, there is little attention directed at the spiritual atmosphere in our hearts. Why is this important? Because Jesus does not want to come into our hearts only for brief, occasional visits. He wants to reside in a heart that has the right atmosphere for Him to enlarge His presence.
Revelations 3:20 continues (in bold italics), “... If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with Me.”
There will always be areas in our hearts that need to be decommissioned such as pride, self-absorption, bitterness, and manipulation; and then recommissioned to make space for God’s Word, His plans and purposes.
People can choose to avoid and sit out Christmas if it is only a seasonal event. But because believers know that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life, we know that without Christ, there is really no Christmas. Ordinarily, people see God’s love through our lives – unscripted, without dress rehearsals. As they navigate their own life challenges and responsibilities, they will find God shaping their experiences of Him.
Truly, we make the Christ of Christmas more real to others when we open the door of our hearts to Jesus, making sure that there is generous space for Him to play Host as He expands our compassion for the people around us, and even as we create the right spiritual atmosphere for His Word to come alive through us in action: altogether giving meaning to the festive spirit and holiday cheer that happen at Christmas all over the world.
We wish you and your loved ones a blessed Christmas and a transformative New Year in 2024!
This is a summary and reflection based on a virtual BIR Session held on 16 December 2023.
