40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.
Jesus did not stay that little baby. So many people today can accept the little baby in a manger, but they can’t accept that He is God, came to live, die and rise again. A baby doesn’t ask us to put aside sinful, selfish ways. Or don’t they? We are watching our grandson while our daughter and son-in-law deliver our next grandchild, a daughter. I had forgotten who much you become their slave for those first couple of years. If you do parenting right, you respond to the needs of your child. When you do that, your child will generally be happy. You must learn their subtle cues that tell you what they need and want. You life becomes consumed in pleasing them. So it is with the Lord. When we follow the Lord our life gets dedicated to Him. Our wishes become less important than His wishes. When He gives us cues as to what His will is, we respond. We must learn to hear His voice in the stillness of our beings. His voice is a subtle one. With our grandson, they are partial words, baby sign language, or the tone of a whimper. Each has its meaning, and if we respond, he is happy. Some never listen to the message of the baby in the manger. He was not just any baby; He was God and humanity in one package. All God and all man rolled into one. This is where many stop listening. If God enters human history, then He must be asking something from us. And that something is our everything. We must give up our own selfish desires and follow Him. We must allow God to fill us with wisdom and allow the grace of God to do its work in our lives. Just as Jesus had to yield to the Father’s will, so we must yield. Just as I must yield what I want to do to the needs of my grandson, so we must each yield to the needs of others.
The Arnold Journey 