At it’s heart, Christmas is all about an invitation.
God inviting us to trust Him.
In fact, the entire Christmas story can be looked at as a string of invitations, one right after the other.
First, Zechariah and Elizabeth. Then Mary. Joseph. The shepherds.
The angel of the Lord appeared to each one, asking for their trust.
In reading the story, there doesn’t seem to be anything remarkable about any one of those people.
They were common, everyday, ordinary folk. Living regular lives.
Whose lives were intersected by an extraordinary God extending a simple invitation:
Trust Me.
Do you realize we have received a similar invitation?
Jesus himself has invited each of us.
“Come to me. All of you who live common, ordinary lives. Those of you who are tired and worn out. Even those who are already burned out on religion. Come to me. Get away with me, and recover your life. I will give you rest. Walk with me and work with me. Let me teach you. Keep company with me and learn to live freely and lightly.”
Wherever you’re at this Christmas, that’s a great invitation.
And frankly, let’s recognize that we come into Christmas from all sorts of places—mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally.
Nevertheless, wherever you find yourself this season, the invitation is still standing.
Trust Me.
We have all been there.
And we’ve all been there more than once. At the point of decision, sorting out what to do with the invitation.
Do we accept it? Or not?
Will we trust God? Or not?
Which also begs the question, Why or Why Not?
I could remind you that God has your Very Best Outcome in mind at all times.
But you have to decide to trust that, as well.
And really, that’s the first step to trusting God in everything.
I think these lyrics paint a recognizable picture:
We all start on the outside,The outside looking in—This is where grace begins.We were hungry we were thirsty,With nothing left to give.Oh the shape that we were in.Just when all hope seemed lost,Love opened the door for us.
It doesn’t matter who we are, what our background is, what our story might be.
We all have to decide, over and over and throughout our lives, to trust God.
Which means we will also wonder many, many times: Is God trustworthy?
I say YES. But it hasn’t always been that way.
My personal road to trusting God has been messy and convoluted and difficult.
But it has also been WORTH IT.
Perhaps you have an easy time, most of the time, trusting God. That is a blessing.
Perhaps you have a difficult time, most of the time, trusting God. That also, in it’s own way, is a blessing.
Because the hard-fought relationship is often the most cherished.
Either way, as Ernest Hemingway once said, “The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them”.
And that is the truth of the matter.
The best way to learn to trust God? Is to trust God.
So I encourage you, this Christmas season, to accept the invitation for yourself: Trust God.
Trust Him more. Trust Him again. Trust Him when you can see the sense in it, and when you can’t.
Because Jesus came at Christmas. He came for you. And He came for me.
He came to repair the broken relationship we each have with God. And His birth, life, death, and resurrection paved the way for that.
Only one thing remains: For me, and for you, to trust Him.
May this Christmas be a time when you accept His invitation once again.
Pastor Steve.
Lyrics from Come to the Table, by Sidewalk Prophets. youtu.be/DXXxLwxfo0U