You’re Rich!
by Julie Smith
With Christmas Day almost here, it’s important that, as Christians, we find time to be quiet to experience the precious awareness of Jesus’ presence, and reflect on the sacrifice He made for us, and the reason for our celebrations next week.
I love the words of the song, ‘You laid aside your majesty’, which powerfully declare the enormity of what Jesus did when He came to earth. It’s a great starting place to focus and reflect. What did it really mean for Jesus to lay aside His majesty, abandoning His exalted place at the right-hand side of the Father? He abandoned that divine, noble, lofty place to come to a squalid, filthy, smelly stable. He gave up His supremacy and power as the Son of God to be born as a weak, vulnerable baby. He gave up the richness of His splendour and glory in Heaven to become a lowly, insignificant and unimportant unknown here on earth. What incredible humility and integrity!
And why? The song goes on, ‘You gave up everything for me.’ So easy to sing through this line without really taking it in, yet the words are profound and true, ‘Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich’ (2 Corinthians 8:9). That’s mind-blowing! It’s worth pausing to allow that truth to really sink down deep into our hearts today: The King of kings became poor to make you and me rich.
Through Jesus’ act of coming to that dirty stable as a baby, becoming poor, He brought to us the richness of the love of the Father. There are many riches the world places much value on: material possessions, personal fame and stardom. Yet a child who has all those things, but lacks the love of a parent, is poor, whilst a child who has very little materially, but is so loved by a parent that they would never think to doubt that love and care for an instant, is rich.
Jesus’ poverty has made us rich. Ultimately, by God’s amazing grace and through Jesus’ death on the cross, the wealth we have received is forgiveness and adoption as sons and daughters of the most gracious, loving, compassionate, tender Father. We don’t have to feel guilty or ashamed. We don’t have to live in spiritual poverty as orphans. We are unconditionally loved children of the Father, invited to live in intimate relationship with Him. This is the real treasure which brings true freedom and peace and joy in our hearts.
As we approach this Christmas, may we be more and more impacted by the truth of the richness of the wonderful spiritual blessings we are celebrating. May a heartfelt response of adoration and worship of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, bubble up, and may we be a witness to those around us of the riches of His love.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You that You laid aside Your majesty and gave up everything for me. Please help me especially at this busy time in lead-up to Christmas to find time to be quiet and experience that precious awareness of Your presence. May this Christmas be a time when I am less absorbed in the material things and more and more impacted with the truth of how rich I am through the wonderful spiritual blessings You have lavished on us all, through Your incredible humility, grace and love. Amen.
Julie Smith is married to Roger, and they have two grown up children. Having received deep healing in her own life, primarily through ministry at Ellel Grange and then attending the Modular School at Glyndley Manor, she went on to join the Glyndley associate ministry team. She now works part-time for Ellel Ministries and is an associate teacher with the ministry. She is passionate to see others restored and released into the abundant life Jesus won for us all.
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