When they arrived in Bethlehem, Mary went into labor, and there she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped the newborn baby in strips of cloth, and Mary and Joseph laid him in a feeding trough since there was no available space in any upper room in the village. When they arrived in Bethlehem, Mary went into labor, and there she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped the newborn baby in strips of cloth, and Mary and Joseph laid him in a feeding trough since there was no available space in any upper room in the village. That night, in a field near Bethlehem, shepherds were watching over their flocks. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared in radiant splendor before them, lighting up the field with the blazing glory of God, and the shepherds were terrified! But the angel reassured them, saying, “Don’t be afraid, for I have come to bring you good news, the most joyous news the world has ever heard! And it is for everyone everywhere! For today in Bethlehem a rescuer was born for you. He is the Lord Yahweh, the Messiah. You will recognize him by this miraculous sign: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in the feeding trough!” Luke 2:6-12
Messy And Glorious
The Nativity was glorious, like nothing this world has ever seen or will ever see again. In light of this miraculous birth of Jesus, we need to get our lives out of the hustle and bustle of our worldly viewpoint of Christmas Day, and let GOD give us His Kingdom Perspective of the First Christmas! Spend some time this Christmas in “Miraculous Musing” Think on it, Luke 2! The birth of our Savior, Jesus, it was messy and glorious. Miraculously-Merrily-So!
Hustle-Bustle Strife
We human race, we are people of all kinds, unique, and opinionated in every way. We, people with the human condition in rare form, are very messy without the glorious. Oh, the hustle and bustle of this season, we make it, simply exhausting! We human beings put way too much on our plates and then we crash and burn emotionally! YES, for sure, exhausted people are “stressy and messy” and conflict seems happens a lot more during stressful life seasons of “hustle and bustle”! Listen up to this 1 Minute Encouragement Video:
Over Commitment Exhaustion
Why is it that people this time of year are emotionally edgy when they are stressed by over commitment? I witnessed a couple of people having an argument in a very crowded store the other day, and I realized relationships can get messy really, really quickly. Tempers flare, things are said which should never have been said, as self-control can’t hold a “stressy-messy” tongue in check. Strife happens, and you got a beginning of a friendship feud, which the enemy of our soul just loves to ignite and twist up relationships into crooked places.
Strife Happens
Christmas, the most wonderful time of the year?? You can’t tell that by the people all around us, grouchy, over-scheduled, harried, tired people with very little patient endurance. Strife happens, and at times such as these, our mouths work overtime with exaggeration, speculations, assumptions, presuppositions, all the enemies delights of deceit, which we partake in when we are tired, self-focused and our self-control is pressed hard by our over scheduled, exhausted human condition. Mouth and tongue, unable to quit, as everyone is trying to get in the last word, makes for a not so fun argument of people getting all twisted up relationally, so much so that they can’t even remember what they are truly arguing about. Here is some good wisdom from a 1 Minute Encouragement Video:
Stressy-Messy Conflicts
How do we avoid these “stressy-messy” conflicts? Sometimes, they are unavoidable and sometimes, oh yes, sometimes, God puts us right in the middle of relational whirlwinds. Really! Would God do that? Yes! Yes, He does allow it purposefully so! Wandering into strife and stuck in the tussle of people, can’t you see God smile right about now? God has a sense of humor, especially when He is trying to stretch our faith, so we grow in His holy character through “stressy-messy” experiences. Oh, the strife that can happen in relationships and oh, how it can leads to “Grinch Like” grumbling, groaning and growing.
Relational Strife Happens
How can it be that God would allow us to stumble right into a hornet’s nest of flared up emotions?! Have you noticed that in the middle of a “stressy-messy” situation, we usually look at everyone else in the situation, and take note of their human deficiency, and very rarely do we even begin to think that we are the problem, or that we have room to grow in godly character? We have a human condition an relational strife happens, and God uses this conflict to teach us to “eat the meat and spit out the bones!” We think the enemy is at the center of all the mess, well, our enemy has stirred it up, is in it, but so is God. God is in the “stressy-messy” situation to teach us something good. God turns our enemy’s evil intention into good character growth in us.
Good Christmas Season Wisdom
So, in the midst of the “stressy-messy” situation, God wants us to eat the meat of the truth we find in the situation, about ourselves. What can I learn from this situation about me? How can I do in this “stressy-messy” relational strife, to change me, to better my character? Eat the meat of truth! Spit out the bones of assumption, speculation, presupposition about others, and focus on God, and what He is revealing about our need for personal growth, this is the way out of a relationship whirlwind. Navigated by the Holy Spirit, this makes stressful situations, less messy, as we ask ourselves, how can I grow through this with God? Then, it becomes less “stressy-messy” and more miraculously-merrily-so. Eat the meat, spit out the bones! Make “stressy-messy” less about fixing others, and more about growing through with God. This is good Christmas Season wisdom.
Encounter God
Live your life consciously aware of God’s Presence and invite Him into your comings and goings this Christmas Season. Jesus came here and is with us, helping us navigate all of our relationships. Tell others about the ways of God. God is with us, God is for us. People Must Know ~ The Nativity Is A Genuine Encounter With God, An Inconceivable Love Story Of God In The Flesh, Interacting With And Intervening For His Human Race. Jesus=Redemption ~ A Fresh Start ~ Authentic Living ~ Genuine Hope ~ Real Humanity!
Jesus shouted out passionately, “To believe in me is to also believe in God who sent me. For when you look at me you are seeing the One who sent me. I have come as a light to shine in this dark world so that all who trust in me will no longer wander in darkness. If you hear my words and refuse to follow them, I do not judge you. For I have not come to judge you but to save you. If you reject me and refuse to follow my words, you already have a judge. The message of truth I have given you will rise up to judge you at the Day of Judgment. For I’m not speaking as someone who is self-appointed, but I speak by the authority of the Father himself who sent me, and who instructed me what to say. And I know that the Father’s commands result in eternal life, and that’s why I speak the very words I’ve heard him speak.” John 12:44-50
Thanks for stopping in The Bridegroom’s Café in The Smorgasbord Table. The Spiritual Meals on this table are usually a very spicy unique meal, we hope your spirit was fed well. Please make sure you share this spiritual meal with someone else today, so they can also feed their soul. Thanks! The Bridegroom’s Voice is something that nourishes us daily and we hope you listen up for it. God bless you, Much KimberlyMac, Author.