No matter your circumstances, Christmas is the way of hope.
Logical? No, Christmas is illogical. It doesn’t make sense.
It doesn’t make sense that God would pick one point in time to intervene.
Makes even less sense to arrive as a baby.
Paul Tournier, in his book, Guilt and Grace, said, “The incarnation reveals the paradoxical inversion of all things.”
“Inversion” means to turn upside down. Inside out.
That’s Christmas.
The topside of heaven is brought to the downside of earth.
Inversion.
God is not . . .
- up somewhere
- out somewhere
. . . hidden by clouds.
He enters our world as a baby.
For the first time in history, women and men look down to see God.
He who spoke worlds into existence cries at night.
Who would ever think God comes like this?
Yet, when you think about it, it makes more sense for God to march in as…
- a king holding up equality
- a scientist curing our diseases
- a business leader making markets fruitful
Christmas inversion
Instead, he slips in as a baby so that everyone can see.
He goes to school in Nazareth.
Yes, God goes to school.
Learns to speak Hebrew.
He didn’t know that?
He knew everything but laid it all aside.
“When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave.” Philippians 2:7, Message
He became like us so we could become like him.
God works in a carpenter shop.
Yes, he knows your job is tedious. Tiresome. Cold days. Hot days. Outdoors. Indoors.
So, God comes into our world as Jesus the carpenter.
- God works building a house of stone.
- God works digging a foundation.
- God works dealing with difficult people, people who don’t like the way he built the house.
God . . .
- works
- laughs
- weeps
- suffers
and rises from the dead for . . .
- our hope
- our best
- our future
Faith sets the direction we look
That’s why it’s so depressing to be an atheist because the only direction an atheist looks is the natural world.
But, a theist sees the natural and the supernatural world.
So, God made the supernatural world visible in Jesus Christ.
And because of that, Christmas is filled with so much potential.
Someone said a pessimist blows out any candle so they can enjoy the dark.
God help us to not blow out the candle this Christmas.
God help us to light the candle.
“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:4-5
Christmas recalls the meaning of success
A fundamental principle of success is “who” not “how.”
It’s not “how do I make this happen?”
It’s “who will take me there?”
I believe the key to success in all matters of life is the “who” not “how.”
“Whos” create abundance and open doors to the next level.
- “How” is one-dimensional
- “Who” is multi-dimensional
Asking “who” instead of “how” will …
- solve your biggest problems
- elevate your emotional health
- lead to your biggest breakthroughs
And when God is your most trusted “Who,” everything becomes possible.
So as Christmas approaches, what impossibilities can I help or pray on your behalf?