Of all the ways to make an entrance, no PR or Marketing firm would choose this one. Divine paradox. Blood and dirt. Animals and anonymity. No facebook or twitter or instagram. A hush slips through a stable after the sounds of labor and the cry of a newborn entering the world He made.
What does this unexpected beginning tell us?
That what is small and hidden can be of great worth to God.
Yes, that means the moments you stand washing dishes when no one sees.
The quiet conversations that bring comfort to just one friend.
The details you add with care to the end of the report or project or blog post.
You may sigh and think, “I should be doing big things for God.” And perhaps He’s watching and whispering back, “You already are.” The One who spoke the stars into being thinks of size entirely different than we do. We assign size based on what we can see and measure. And then we equate size with significance. But what matters to God is more often unseen and unmeasured.
1 Samuel 16:7 says, “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
If that weren’t true, there would have a throne instead of a manger. There would have been red carpets instead of red blood spilled upon a cross on a lonely hill. There would have been press releases instead of angels presenting extraordinary news to ordinary shepherds.
What’s really big in God’s eyes? LOVE. In the quiet moments. In the corners of our lives. Often given without recognition or reward. It turns out the most sacred spaces in our lives are often the ordinary ones. The plain ones. The ones no would say were anything special. The ones that seem so small they don’t even deserve to be noticed.
The ones like a manger.
Because when we lean in and look a little closer like shepherds did in a stable long ago, we discover this glorious surprise: Jesus is right there in the center.
More for You
Today on More than Small Talk, we’re unwrapping unrealistic expectations and talking about how to embrace grace this holiday season. Listen in!
Need a little extra encouragement? Want to live with more peace and less pressure, more calm and less chaos, more worship and less worry? If so, What Your Soul Needs for Stressful Times is for you.
