how he came

Happy Tuesday BEFORE CHRISTMAS, y’all!  You’ve probably already noticed because of our lack of posting yesterday, but this week we are doing things a little differently.  I can’t believe that we are nearing so close to the end of our journey through the fruits of the spirit.  Have these weeks flown by, or what!?  Here we are at week 8 talking about gentleness.  We decided to incorporate the Christmas season into our posts this week, so you’ll be seeing this post by me (Nicole) today and a post by Jessica later this week!

To be honest, when we were thinking about what each week would look like during these nine week, we were stumped when it came to gentleness.  I  never want you guys to think that we are up on some high pedestal claiming that we know the bible inside and out.  We don’t.  We are normal college-aged girls who just want to love Jesus with everything we’ve got.  We clearly don’t have it all figured out… since the ideas for these post came last weekend.  :)

The Christmas story is one that we have heard so many times that I am afraid it is losing it’s “magic” with some people.  You know when you’ve heard a bible story in Sunday school so many times that anytime anyone mentions it, you say “yeah, yeah.  I know that one.”  Oh, how we miss out on the richness of these stories by growing blind to the fireworks behind every story.

Even though we’ve heard the Christmas story time and time again… let’s not grow tired of hearing it.  Let’s see the fireworks today!

And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

Luke 2:6-7

Some of you might be saying “so what?”  What is the big deal in these two verses?

I believe the character of Christ is shown in these two verses.  When I think about God, I usually think about how great, mighty, and powerful He is.  He is this huge supernatural power who has the ability to see all, judge all, and understand all.  He’s straight up overwhelming.  And yet… this big, powerful, all-seeing God sends Jesus to earth as a baby.  He didn’t send Him in on a cloud of fire.  He didn’t cause the earth a great earthquake, or a mighty storm.  He sent him on a quiet night to be born in a barn.  He was born to simple, faithful parents.  He wasn’t born in some majestic kingdom, in fact, he laid where animals ate.  Everything about the birth of Christ speaks volumes of his character to me.  He came gently.  He didn’t come with some big “ta da”.  He just came.  As a helpless baby.  To be born quietly in the night.

I don’t know about you, but that brings so much peace to my heart.  So often it is so easy to be intimidated by God.  He is this big, strong being who could wipe us off the map if he so pleased.  He could have judged the world as soon as man fell, but he didn’t.  He sent Jesus Christ to be born in a humble, gentle way to remind us of how he loves.  He sent Jesus to tell us that it’s okay that we mess up sometimes, because there is always forgiveness.  He sent Jesus to show us what true love looks like.  He sent Jesus to show us what forgiveness looks.  He sent Jesus without condemnation. 

Christ was gentle.  He was gentle in his birth, in his life, and in his death. 

He was gentle to remind us of how deep his love is for us and how strong his devotion is.  There is nothing we can ever do to take away the security we have in Christ.  NOTHING.  We can’t sin enough, fall down enough, run enough, say “not now” enough… the blood of Christ covers it all.  His gentleness tells the story. 

So, whenever you feel like you’ve just “gone to far”, think about the story of Christ’s  birth.  Remember how he was sent humbly and gently to love and to forgive.  Not to be heartless and condemning. 

He came to be gentle.  He came to love.  He came to save.

Merry Christmas, friends!

Love y'all.

Nicole