No place for Him. As we draw near to celebrating Christmas, let’s take a little closer look at this brief phrase of Scripture and how poignant these words actually are even to this day.
Luke 2:7 (ESV)
And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
From the moments leading up to the birth of our Lord until now, finding a place for Him has been troublesome for so many.
As I reflect upon the status of our American society and the world as a whole, it is clear that there still is not any room for the Son of God. We cannot invoke His name in public prayer in schools, in businesses, and in governmental meetings. We acquiesce to “Happy Holidays” instead of rightfully proclaiming “Merry Christmas” so as not to offend anyone, all the while seeing no harm in not acknowledging our Lord before man (Matthew 10:32-33).
We seem to have lost our way, even professing Christians. The Silent Majority seems content on remaining silent and unobtrusive. We have watered down our own standards of what it means to be a Christian to elect individuals simply because the other option is worse. Those who feel having a pastor-in-chief is a bad idea must believe that morals are a bad attribute to possess when navigating the halls of legislation.
Unfortunately, few are rising up to meet the challenge. Generations coming after us offering little hope of a spiritual uprising and the need for God to be the center of their lives. Much like the Pharaoh decried in Exodus 5:2, “Who is the Lord that I should obey Him?” is an all too familiar mantra today. Truth and morality have become relative to the individual.
As Christians, we can and must change this. We must recognize that being silent about our faith is not the call Jesus has for us. We can turn things around, but it must start within us by allowing the Holy Spirit guiding direction in our lives. We must proclaim the Truth in word and walk.
If there is no room in our own hearts for Him, how can we expect it of others? If we are not sharing the Gospel with others, how can we effect change in this world?
I’m afraid that many of us guard our hearts against God, instead of for Him. We welcome lust, worldly passions, and all of the enticements Satan throws at us to weaken our witness, usurping the role of Christ as master of our hearts. We find ourselves comparing our Christian walk with other brothers in Christ and if it looks like we’re on par, then all is well. We have forgotten to use the true measuring stick of our faith—Jesus Christ—and thus hold a false image of our status.
Yes, the world did finally find a place for Christ—on the cross at Calvary. Sadly today, He has just as many enemies. Let us yearn to make room for Him down here, reminding all who will listen that in doing so He will make room for them up there. That honoring Him here, he will honor us before the Father up there.
Let us make room for Him today as Christmas draws near.
