“Making Room for Jesus”
Read Luke 2:4-7
“…there was no guest room available for them.” Part of the original Christmas story was about not having enough room. For one of the most momentous moments in all of human history, Mary and Joseph are likely situated in a cave that served as a barn for the birth of a king. During this season of Advent (the four weeks leading up to and preparing for Christmas), we would like to invite you to ask yourselves over and over again – how do we make room for Jesus in our lives?
One of my favorite off-the-beaten-track Christmas songs is “Room in my Heart (A Christmas Song)” by the Violet Burning. The song tells the story in lyric form of Joseph and Mary’s journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem to take part in a census. The recurring refrain of the chorus goes like this:
Baby Jesus, there isn't any room in the inn
But there's room in my heart
Baby Jesus, there isn't any room in the inn
But there's room in my heart of hearts
Imagine the scene in Luke 2. A census was called, and everyone returned to the town of their origin. Most likely, Joseph owned property in Bethlehem, and so they had to return to be counted with their family lineage. Bethlehem was overflowing with guests, and as the number of people swelled, the town was squeezed, and space was limited.
I think that may be a fairly accurate picture of our lives – squeezed, overstuffed, crammed, and so jam-packed with all sorts of things that we no longer have space left in our lives to truly celebrate that Jesus has come and is coming again.
Take a moment and think about all the places where your life feels like there’s no margin available. You could probably open your calendar app and realize you’re hard pressed on every side at work. Or maybe you have a family calendar on the fridge and you’re trying to wrangle various schedules to tame the chaos. Maybe you feel the press in the endless notifications pulling at your attention on your phone or watch. In our overstuffed lives, how are you going to make room for Jesus as you race toward Christmas?
Take 60 seconds and imagine your heart like the scene in Bethlehem – busy, bustling, with no room. Would you even know it if Jesus came for a visit this Christmas? If you feel the sting of that question like I do, simply take the next 60 seconds to consider this question: “Where do I need (or where do we) need to make room for Jesus today?” If you’re doing this with kids, don’t underestimate their ability to sit for 60 seconds and to hear from the Lord. Begin by welcoming God’s presence and saying: “Jesus, we want to make room for you. Where do we need to make room for you in our lives today?”
Sit quietly (set a timer if need be) and let the Lord speak.
Maybe the Lord spoke about a certain area where you need to make some room. Do you need to decline an invite? Do you need to turn off your notifications on your phone for four weeks? Do you need to reimagine a tradition that feels more burdensome than joyful? Focus on that area over the next four weeks. Or maybe you didn’t sense anything specific in that brief quiet moment. Just keep praying a prayer about making room for Jesus over the next four weeks. Pray that prayer at every meal. Set a reminder on your phone to pray a prayer to make room for the coming Messiah. Pick up a copy of the book, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, by John Mark Comer. Use this season to make room. Once the Holy Spirit speaks about an area (or areas) of life that are so crammed that you’re relegating Jesus to the garage, ask him to teach you how to make room for him, instead.