Another Look at Christmas

Have you ever wondered why God would send His only begotten Son on this earth to be born as a human baby and not as a mighty warrior to save us? I've been thinking about this for quite sometime now because I am to lead P&W in our Church this December 23, 2007. The topic of the speaker is about how God uses ordinary things to achieve the extraordinary and the how people may see it as ordinary but God sees it as extraordinary.

From Ordinary to Extraordinary

Ordinary ... where have I heard that word before... oh right, ordinary that's me! Nothing extraordinary about me. I'm just a regular person having a regular job with regular family. A person who feels, thinks and acts like a normal person. Unlike God who is extraordinary. I can't even believe I'm comparing myself to Him!

Jesus, our Savior, chose to be born as a human just like us. He was both God and human yet He knew that He had a greater purpose. He made himself available to do His Father's works through Him. I think that made it extraordinary.

Mary (Jesus' mother), I believe, was an ordinary woman of her time. She may have the same work as other girls her age. She was to be married to a carpenter so I'm guessing that her status in her society was not that prestigious yet God work through and in her. God chose her to be the earthly mother of Jesus.

In the same way, an ordinary person choosing to do a purpose than is not selfish, a purpose that seeks eternal value, a purpose that leads the person not to rely upon one's capability alone but on the Strength, Knowledge, Power that He gives... that's extraordinary. I believe extraordinary things can come from ordinary people once they allow Him to work through oneself.

From our way to God's way

I always remember the Chinese song "God's way". It talks about God's ways being higher than ours which is true. How can finite people understand the Master plan of the Maker and Creator of all things. Yet sadly, that's the perspective that we bring most of the time. We envy those who illegally prosper. We say to people who are suffering that maybe God's punishing them for a sin they have committed, etc. Our eyes have been so blinded by the world's standard that we forget that these events, no matter how we view it, are against God's teachings.

There's another song that will support me in this point. The title of the song is "Shepherd Boy". here are the lyrics.

Words and Music by Ray Boltz and Steve Millikan

One by one Jesse's sons stood before the prophet
Their father knew a king would soon be found
And each one passed except the last
No one thought to call him
Surely he would never wear a crown

CHORUS:
But when others see a shepherd boy
God may see a king
Even though your life seems filled
With ordinary things
In just a moment
He can touch you
And everything will change
When others see a shepherd boy
God may see a king

One by one problems come and dreams get shattered
And sometimes it's hard to understand
But things like chance and circumstance
They don't really matter
Our Father holds tomorrow in His hands

CHORUS

Well it wasn't the oldest
It wasn't the strongest chosen on that day
And yet the giants fell and nations trembled
When they stood in his way

CHORUS

©1989 Shepherd Boy Music/ASCAP and SonWorshippers/ASCAP.

As we celebrate the Christmas festivities, let us remember that many things are out of our hands. We may say that Christ's birth was something that we didn't see coming, and yet despite of that God still used Mary to show the world how He cares so much for the lost.

Both lessons are something that I know before. Both are something that I understand and yet something that is hard to comply and to follow by heart. I pray that we learn this lesson together.