Make Room for Jesus
The story of that very first Christmas includes chilling words for any family trying to deliver a baby: “There’s no room for you.” Truth is, that’s not the last time that sentiment would be spoken in Jesus’ direction. Life wants to crowd out Jesus. The pace. The noise. The distractions. All of it conspires to push Jesus to the fringe of our lives. Jesus is a gift to the world—or better, THE gift to the world. A gift that can easily remain boxed and wrapped if we become distracted by the noisy alternatives.
Discussion Questions
The Christmas season can be a hectic and hurried time. What pressures do you feel this time of year? How do you deal with the hurried pace?
Read Luke 2:1-7. What pressures might Joseph and Mary have been living with? Notice that verse 7 tells us there was “no room for them.” In what ways might you fail to make room for Jesus?
In what ways does our society suffer from hurry sickness? What does it look like for you to practice the advice of Psalm 46:10? Notice what Jesus did (Mark 1:35 and 6:31-32).
One of the ways you can make room for Jesus is to engage with God daily (one of our church’s five Christlike Influencer characteristics). What are your daily practices to help you include Jesus in your routine?
So much competes for our attention (advertisements, technology, kid’s sports and activities). What will you cut out of your schedule to reduce the insanity?
What can you change in your Christmas routine to make this year more enjoyable?
Further Reading
The Gift of Christ
The love of material things often steals our attention. This leads us to focus on growing our collection of possessions, even thinking that those items can somehow provide authentic, deep life satisfaction. And when our idea of Christmas revolves around a misplaced...
It Doesn’t Feel Like Christmas
We generally associate Christmas as being a season of joy and celebration, but many of us experience deep feelings of grief and loneliness during Christmas. That grief and loneliness grows as we tell ourselves we should be feeling positive emotions instead. If that’s...