The Nature of the Nativity: Day 2 - The Table

Thanks for coming back! If you're like me, it's easy to get side tracked even though you have the best intentions. If you're just joining us, we are taking a 15 day journey through the nativity searching for spiritual truths. Yesterday we spent some time on why Jesus came and what God was doing with the Baby in the Manger. Today, we begin setting up our nativity scene.

I enjoy the Christmas season. I like the lights, the trees, the smells, and, of course, the eating. However, the preparation is not something I enjoy. Not only do we have to drag our extensive collection of boxes out of the attic, but we have to also put away all the other...stuff to make room. It just so happens, that everywhere Beth wants to put Christmas decorations there are already everyday decorations. Believe it or not, we don't have a bunch of empty end tables and shelves 11 months out of the year. As I said, all of this needs to be put away to make room. There are currently two nativities on display in our home. Both of them are taking the place of something else. In my office, I had to move my Lego Death Star and Lego Millennium Falcon to make room for my new breakable nativity scene that I inherited. 

"That's no moon...it's a space station."

Before we've even pulled a figurine out of a box, we've stumbled upon the first spiritual truth I want to point out. We have to make room. Just like our homes are full of decorations, our lives are filled with other stuff. If we are going to accept the "gift that God freely gives" mentioned in Romans 6:23, then we have to make Jesus our Lord, and not just our Savior. Once we choose to make Jesus our Lord, there is no room for anyone or anything else to be more important, including ourselves. Exodus 34:14 tells us:

"Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God." New International Version 

 While jealousy is commonly seen as a bad thing on earth, and rightfully so in many cases, God is perfect. The Bible states plainly that God does not share. His first commandment to the Israelites in Exodus 20:3 show this plainly:

"You shall have no other gods before me."NIV

Every other commandment flows from this first one. Why should we not steal? Because God said so, and I made the decision that nothing was above Him in my life.  Why should I not lie? Because God said so. Why should I not covet my neighbors wife? Because God said so, and because in north Mississippi your neighbor most likely has a gun. I digress. You see when Jesus is Lord, He is the one in control, not us. Even Jesus, while He was here on earth, said in Matthew 4:10: 

"Worship the Lord your God and worship him only," NIV

Though Jesus was God in the flesh and part of the Trinity, He stated that God alone was to be worshipped. 

What about you? If you have not asked Jesus to be Lord of your life, what needs to go? What needs to fall down in the hierarchy of your life to make room for Him? Jesus is up front about what it costs to accept His gift of salvation. Luke 14:26 reads:

"If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters--yes, even their own life--such a person cannot be my disciple." NIV

You must give Him control of your life.  The place of honor that God holds in your life should be so far above anyone or anything else that the difference should appear to be the same as the difference between love and hate. I've made the observation before that people are ok with Jesus being their Savior, but have a hard time making Him their Lord. How many of us would grab a burning chair and fend off the firefighter who was trying to save our life? But how many of us would willing bow the knee to someone and pledge our allegiance and devotion to them and them alone? If you don't know Christ yet, are you willing to clean off the table of your life? Are you willing to let Him be Lord?

"Are you willing to clean off the table of your life?"

The cleared off table is not just a spiritual truth for those who are not disciples; there is also a lesson for those who are already believers. One year I put a Yoda figurine that was dressed as Santa right beside Mary and Joseph. Of course my wife rolled her eyes, but she was nice enough to let it stay there for a few weeks. I got a kick out of it, minus explaining why it was funny to my then preschoolers. However, it was obvious that it didn't fit. As a Christian, it's our job to keep our tables clean. It is ridiculously easy to let things and people creep onto our tables, especially our own selfish desires. Instead of a clean table to work with, we force our own desires and wants into God's nativity. Then we try to move the pieces to suit us better. We arrange them to be more acceptable and less burdensome. Sometimes we even take pieces out because we don't want to commit that much of our lives to God. Believer, I encourage you to take a long and careful look at your life. What competes with God for importance? What do you need to clean up? What do you need to do away with? Remember, He's not just a sweet little baby. He's the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Remember also, the state of your personal "nativity" could be the hinderance keeping someone around you from accepting Christ. Even non-christians can spot hypocrisy. Just food for thought. See you tomorrow!

Day 2 - The Table

*All scripture taken from the New International Version