December 1: …Wished He’d Made More Room…

Affirmation: I am gentle with myself & my mistakes. I treat my body with love & respect.

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”                1 Thessalonians 5:18

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Ponder, Personalize, Practice: Lord, thank you that in *obeying* your words there is great reward. Help me today not only to listen to your life-changing words but also to put them into practice.

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”                1 Thessalonians 5:18

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Wholehearted Guidepost from Brené Brown

Guidepost 8: Cultivating Calm and Stillness and Letting Go of Anxiety as a LifestyleMake time for calm and stillness. Let go of anxiety as a lifestyle. 

Focus on letting go of anxiety…breathe, find a quiet space, meditate, journal.

Create a habit of calm and stillness. Build it into your day. 

(From Jacque: I learned alot about building habits from James Clear’s book, Atomic Habits. Create visual and electronic reminders for your habit of calm and stillness.  “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  1 Thessalonians 5:18)

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Mastering the 7 Decisions from Andy Andrews

6. I WILL GREET THIS DAY WITH A FORGIVING SPIRIT.

By the act of forgiving, I am no longer consumed by unproductive thoughts. I will forgive those who have criticized me unjustly.

I now understand that forgiveness has value only when it is given away. I forgive their lack of vision, and I forge ahead.

I now know that criticism is part of the price paid for leaping past mediocrity. I will forgive those who do not ask for forgiveness. From this day forward, my history will cease to control my destiny. I have forgiven myself. My life has just begun.

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:32‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Reading for Today

Walk in Grace. Live in Love. by Bob Goff

                   December 1

LATER IN HIS LIFE, I BET THE INNKEEPER WISHED HE HAD MADE MORE ROOM FOR JESUS.

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. LUKE 2:6-7 

Right before Jesus was to be born, His soon-to-be parents had to make the trek from Nazareth to Judea to register for a national census. The trip had to have taken them a while, especially since Mary was nine months pregnant. When they arrived in Bethlehem, eager to find a place to stay the night, the innkeeper said there was no room for them. So Mary and Joseph spent' the night in a stable, on haystacks next to donkeys and sheep. And that's where the Savior was born. 

 

I often wonder how long it was before the innkeeper knew what he had missed. When he heard about the Messiah from Nazareth, who brought dead people back to life and healed lepers of their disease, I can't help but think he regretted his choice to turn them away. He had to have relived the night in his mind, coming up with ways he could've made room for the Savior of the world. 

 

As busy people in the twenty-first century, we can point to a lot of reasons to explain why we don't make more room for Jesus and the people He loves in our lives. We've got bills to pay and kids to raise and responsibilities pulling us in every direction, but there's only one thing God has asked us to do: to love Him-and in doing so, love the people around us. 

 

Let's avoid-the innkeeper's mistake. Let's do some renovations to make room for the Messiah while we still have time. 

 

What do you need to move out of your life to make more room for Jesus? “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”                1 Thessalonians 5:18