For the Surpassing Worth of Knowing Christ
My little sister taught me what childlike faith is when I discovered that, for all the times we’d driven across states, countries even, she thought my Dad was just getting us there without directions. She wasn’t worried about the details of a map or destination. She just new “[Dad] has gotten us everywhere we’ve needed to be.” And she trusted him to keep doing that.
This is the faith God asks of us. And it is the faith Jesus displayed for us.
The wise men gave of themselves for Jesus. They gave of their time and lives – choosing a journey to an unknown destination. Am I willing to give all? To give gold as to a King? Myrrh as to His Mortal Heart? And Incense as to a Living God?
My heart still holds back in the still of this world’s echoing hesitations to surrender all. But in the deepest crevice of my soul, I am beckoned to give back to my fullest. I am beckoned to try.
And so, I will try.
Christmas is certainly a time to celebrate God’s breathtaking gift to mankind…this beautiful love-offering to humanity. But it is also a call to sacrifice. If the King of Heaven could step down from His glorious throne, shouldn’t we be willing…eager, even…to step away from our already humble and chaotic lives?
Friend, this earth is not your home.
Who could ever dream to hope of a God that seeks a filthy people who runs from Him, denies Him, betrays Him, and attacks Him? And yet the Creator of all mankind is, in an overwhelming love story, faithfully seeking His heart’s love…though we hide from His arms and faithlessly chase worldly pleasures and disgrace. How breathtaking. How beautiful.
How unthinkable.
Among Christians, there is an ongoing conflict of whether or not we should celebrate Christmas. Tensions over the date, the focus on material value, the decorating of Christmas trees etc. have left us mixed up and confused.
Yet in all of the chaos, we’ve forgotten to focus on the one thing that matters. Why do we celebrate Christmas?