The Stable-ility found at Christmas…Jesus existed before anything else, and He holds all creation together…Colossians 1:17
As Pete has been teaching us at FORGE, there are facts to be considered about Jesus which leads us to respond in faith, believing those things to be true with certainty, assurance, and confidence. Emotions then fuel our ability to feel or sense these Truths at a deeper level. In the book “The Last Battle,” C. S. Lewis invites us to enter the manger scene in a fresh way. As we approach the celebration and worship of Christmas, let’s take a journey to the Savior’s stable, and see for ourselves how much bigger and how much better Jesus’ incarnation really is.
“”It seems, then,” said Tirian, smiling himself, “that the Stable seen from within and the Stable seen from without are two different places.” “Yes,” said the Lord Digory.
“Its inside is bigger than its outside.”
“Yes,” said Queen Lucy. “In our world too, a Stable once had something inside it that was bigger than our whole world.” It was the first time she had spoken, and from the thrill in her voice Tirian now knew why. She was drinking everything in more deeply than the others. She had been too happy to speak.””
In reading this, thinking of the stable in terms of Christ’s presence, I thought about 3 key things;
-Am I seeing/experiencing Jesus from the outside looking in or the inside looking out?
-As I look at it from the inside, am I seeing it for all it is?
-As I see it for more of what it is, am I seeing it as bigger than the whole world?
This year has offered the potential to see the world as bigger than we should but God is reminding me that before 2020…before the manger…before the world began…
Jesus existed before anything else, and He holds all creation together!
The more, as FORGE Men, we know, believe, and follow Him, the more we realize “the Stable seen from within and the Stable seen from without are two different places,” the more we will see our world differently and the more we will be energized by Grace to live lives of meaning and impact to the Glory of God and the good of those people we are influencing! Scotty Smith says it well…Our world is desperate for Jesus to “stable-ize” all things. As FORGE Men, God calls us each day to stand in the world and be that “stable-izer”…Christ in us, the hope of glory!
Even as our culture fuels a “Christmas centered Christ,” my prayer for all of us as FORGE Men is that we would lead our families well with thoughtful intentionality so we experience a “CHRIST Centered Christmas!”
Merry Christmas…Kelley
