Many of us have high expectations at Christmas time. We want to get just the right gifts, decorate the house to be stunning, and have perfect family memories.
If only our high expectations would really work out!
The problem with unreasonably high expectations is that we live in a fallen world where nothing is ever quite as it should be.
What if this year we looked to have an ordinary Christmas?
The first Christmas when Jesus was born was quite normal from a human perspective. Mary and Joseph weren’t really noteworthy – they weren’t rich, powerful, or famous. Bethlehem was small and insignificant. Without a proper place to stay, they placed the baby Jesus in an ordinary manger. A manger has become a powerful symbol of the Savior’s birth. But at the time, a manger was a common, ordinary feeding trough for animals, made from wood or stone.
And yet through the quiet, simple, resilient faith of Mary and Joseph, God was able to accomplish something extraordinary. You don’t have to be fancy and noteworthy in order for God to use you. You just have to be faithful and obedient in all the ordinary aspects of life.
“The greatest fear Christians have today is boredom – that sense that they are missing out on the radical, world-changing life Jesus promised. One thing is certain. No one wants to be ordinary. The problem is that most of us end up feeling disillusioned and disappointed, burnt out by restless anxieties and unrealistic expectations. We need a renewed appreciation for the commonplace ways in which God works – often, in those mundane moments that are unplanned, unprogrammed, and unplugged. By learning to embrace the ordinary, you will find contentment and a sustainable faith in the hidden and humble places.” – Michael Horton, Ordinary
So, let’s embrace the ordinary. This year let’s shoot for an ordinary Christmas. Focus on Christ. Take time to rest. Care for your kids. Be loving and respectful. Pray. Read your Bible. Think of others first. Speak in a way that builds others up. Love people as God has loved you.
Be faithful in the ordinary things of life, and God just may accomplish something extraordinary through you.
“And while they were [in Bethlehem], the time came for her to give birth. 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. And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!’” – Luke 2:6-14
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