So, today I listened to Christmas music for the first time of this holiday season. Before Thanksgiving?! I think that might be a crime, but the song was called "A Baby Changes Everything" sung by Faith Hill. It really got me thinking about the baby aspect.
I don't really like thinking of Jesus as a baby. That's not my first mental picture of him and somehow maybe even makes me uncomfortable (you know that's just where He wants you - THEN He can teach you something!). So, I thought, "Well, is this really all that important?" But obviously it was or God wouldn't have specifically done it that way. It is no accident that Jesus came to earth as a baby.
This evening, twelve hours later, I was faced with the baby issue again. This time it came from the Oswald Chambers devotional, "My Utmost for His Highest." In it, Chambers warns against the pride of wanting to appear deep spiritually. He challenges that it is not our deep devotion to God that makes us refuse to be shallow, but our wish to impress other people with the fact that we are not shallow. This is a sure sign of being a spiritual snob. "Beware of posing as a profound person; God became a baby."
Whoa! Did that point out some pride in my heart! See, I knew I was uncomfortable with the baby issue. But Phillipians 2:5 says that our attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. What was that attitude? One of humility. He did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but lowered himself completely to our level, became an obedient servant on our behalf and offered himself as a sacrifice for our sins. What a Christmas story!
So this Christmas season, when you see the baby who changed everything, think of humility. What might humility change about this Christmas season for you? How might you become other-centered and God-centered instead of self-centered? What a gift that would be to our Savior!
CHALLENGE: For the next 25 days, specifically do something other-centered as a gift to your Saviour and write it down in your journal. You might even want to post some of the blessings you have received as a result of taking the focus off of yourself. Merry Christmas!
