Luke 2
7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
When I was a child, this was a story that made me upset. How could a Innkeeper send the savior of the world to be born in his barn? Actually, the innkeeper did what he could. This man’s Inn was full and he still gave Mary and Joseph a place to stay. The question is: Do we have room for Jesus in our hearts and our lives?Our lives and hearts become so full of other things that we do not have room for Christ.
What are the things that take his place in your hearts? For many of us, money and possessions are main focus of our lives. This is the reason that many people work so many hours and spend so little time with their families. If possessions and finances consume us there will no room for Jesus in our hearts and in our lives.
For many of us anger and bitterness has consumed our hearts so that they have no more room left for Christ. Once bitterness takes root in our hearts it consumes us. The problem with bitterness is that it is sometimes a gradual process. We make decisions to continue frustration instead of letting it go. We choose to remember how someone has wronged us instead of remembering that God is calling us to love those that make mistakes. This bitterness soon becomes a major part of our lives. The love of Christ can not dwell in hearts that are already consumed with Bitterness and anger. As long as we hold bitterness, there is no room for Jesus.
For many of us, Sin has consumed our hearts so much that their is no room for Jesus. The bible talks about those people that invent ways to sin. Many people can relate to that. As long as hearts and lives are consumed with pornography,drugs, pride, selfishness, and power there will be no room for Jesus. Once this cycle begins, it takes us further and further away from God. The sin becomes the desire of the heart, instead of Christ. Once sin enters in it wrecks our lives, families, and churches. As long as we are mastered by sin, we will have no room for Jesus.
Do you have room in your heart for Christ? Have you allowed others things to become the focus of your life? Jesus will not accept part of our heart, he deserves and demands it all. When we live for anything else we are saying that we have no room for Jesus in our lives.
Jesus wants to clean out all those rooms in our hearts. He wants to teach us what a new birth is all about. He’s waiting for us to simply let Him in.
And sometimes, I still don’t.
I don’t know why, except sometimes I’m embarrassed.