Christian Reflection and Prayer

Scripture:

And she brought
forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling
clothes, and laid him in a manger; (Luke 2: 7a) KJV

Reflection:

Stop and think for a minute, what was
in store for Christ when He became man
and was born on Christmas Day.
First, being born in not the greatest of
surroundings and conditions. The knowledge
of being a king and treated as a lowly
servant. Ridiculed in His Father's house
of worship. Seen by many, not as a
miracle worker but as a worker of evil.
Ridiculed and denigrated in almost
every town He visited. Constantly being
called upon to defend His beliefs. Put
down by current rulers as an enemy of
the state and a traitor. Put down by
church leaders as an enemy of the faith.
Being forced to always be on the move.
Never having the means to make a living.
Constantly living with death threats. On
"Good Friday," Jesus was a swollen,
bloody mess. Most of his friends had
hightailed it hours before, leaving him
alone to face the physical agony of crucifixion,
the emotional anguish of a jeering crowd,
and the spiritual horror of separation from God the Father.

Christ was born into all of this yet look how He
responded: On the way to his execution,
he paused to console a group of
grief-stricken women. He used what little
breath he was able to catch to pray for those
who were so merciless to him. He demonstrated
compassion and forgiveness to a criminal dying
at his side. And he took pains, literally, to see
that his grief-stricken mother below him would
be cared for by a friend.

Christ had the ultimate
"tough time," in life Yet He oozed kindness and goodness.
And because his Spirit lives in us, we also have the
capacity to take our lives, often filled with
tragedy, as an opportunity to care for others.

Prayer:

Cause your kindness and goodness to flow
through me, Lord. It is not natural for me to
think of others or to think of glorifying you,
especially when my own life is filled with pain.
Teach me to live supernaturally. I want to be
selfless like you, Jesus, always looking for
opportunities to bless others.