No Room for Jesus

Does it seem strange that, having planned the birth of His Son Jesus for thousands of years, God seems to have forgotten a key aspect of the birth arrangements – a place for Jesus to be born! Of course, with hindsight (always a wonderful thing), we know that it was no mistake on God’s part and was all part of His plan. There was no pomp and ceremony or social media to announce this world-changing event, and no room for the Saviour of the world. Surely the innkeeper would have provided the very best room, if he had known who it was. But he turned them away, in the direction of a dirty stable.

The idea of ‘no room for Jesus’ resonated with me. Have we room for the Christ-child this Christmas? Amidst all the decorations inside and outside our homes, the buying and wrapping of presents, planning of family gatherings (or just a table set for one or two) and what to watch on TV, have we, in our busyness, left no room for Jesus?

Outside our house we have a sign which says, ‘Jesus is the Reason for the Season’. It’s a reminder to us, and those who pass by, that, without Jesus, there would be no Christmas. In fact, all the ‘stuff’ which takes the forefront of our mind and actions is just window dressing. It can hide the truth about Christmas from us. The Lord of all creation loved us so much that He sent His Son to earth as a baby. He died in our place, on a cruel cross, thirty-three years later, so that our sins could be forgiven, if we invite Jesus in.

But the lack of any room for Jesus can easily extend beyond Christmas and the New Year and be part of our daily lives. If you have seen anything on TV, or read, about those who hoard things, you will know that it is a deep problem. Such people can’t just ‘snap out of it’. Gradually, the accumulating of things big and small begins to fill every room in the house, until that poor person is struggling to make space for the things that do count and are needed. We may well feel sorry or frustrated for them, but have we accumulated so many things in our daily lives, not necessarily physical items, that there is no room for Jesus?

What sort of things could they be? TV, social media, and texting on our mobile phones can be things that occupy our time and mind, so that there is no room for Jesus.  Most of the time it isn’t intentional. It just happens and vital things such as prayer, reading God’s Word, going to church, and developing a relationship with Jesus get pushed out. We may even find, after a while, that we don’t miss Him. We are just too busy, and maybe, just like the innkeeper 2,000 years ago, we miss out on meeting the Saviour of the World.

Will you make time for Jesus this Christmas and let Him into your life?  If you do, you will truly be amazed at how your life can be changed for the better. Perhaps you might like to pray the following prayer.