In A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World, author Paul Miller offers six cures for cynicism in prayer. One is to “cultivate a childlike spirit”: “Cry out for grace like a hungry child. As soon as I begin simply asking for help, I have become like a little child again. I’ve stopped becoming cynical. Oddly enough, my prayer is answered almost immediately because in the act of praying I’ve become like a child. . . . Instead of critiquing others’ stories, watch the story our Father is weaving.”
Becoming like a little child is essential for salvation, prayer and how about also for enjoying the spirit of Christmas? Not just when it comes to “asking,” but also “thankfulness” and “gratitude.”
I mean, just think about it, you and me once again have the wonderful privilege of telling others about the Christmas Story!
The incarnation -- it defies description. The eternal God who became mortal man. The potter became clay. The Maker of all took residence in a manger. All the makings of a good story – a true story! No wonder there were so many angels present at the announcement over the birth of Jesus.
To those of us who've heard the story all our lives, it seems so normal. We can become complacent and even bored by it. But, to those who've never heard, it must sound a little strange. Such was the world Jesus was born into. They had never read the Christmas story, or seen it portrayed by children each year in church. To them, it was the simple reality that this child was different. His birth, His development, His mission were all very strange.
Everyone knows where children come from, right? But, on very rare occasions God has chosen to mix things up so show that He is the author of this story. Adam, for example, came into being without a man or a woman. Eve, on the other hand, came from man and no woman. On one occasion, God chose a couple too old to have kids to bring young Isaac into the world. But, never had a woman given birth without the aid of a man. God had saved the best for last. "A virgin shall be with child and bear a Son, and she will call His name Immanuel."
Think about it, of all the people in the world today, you and I as Christians are most fortunate. God has granted us the wonderful opportunity to share the Christmas story again this year. Are you excited? Are you telling your children? Your friends? Your neighbors?
Tell the story of Jesus and His entrance into the world from different angles, scenes, perspectives, using various biblical accounts. You shouldn’t have to get excited over this. This is something that ought to excite you if you really understand and comprehend what God was up to.
Telling the Christmas story should never become diluted in place of commercialism. Christmas is about God, the Most High, giving His Son as a gift to others, not wrapped in colorful paper, but in swaddling clothes. And like any gift, it must be received in order to be fully appreciated.
