Recently I have been reading through the Gospels. When I came to the story of Jesus’ birth found in Luke 2, I was struck anew by the words found in verse 7. “And [Mary] brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”
These words saddened me as I thought about Mary and Joseph being turned away. If the people had known that the Savior of the world was among them, would room have been made available to them?
But then I also thought about myself, and all of us in general. Do we make room for Jesus in our lives and in our hearts? Generally speaking, the society around us has continually pushed Jesus away. And the results are clearly seen in our deteriorating world.
But even among believers, do we always have time for Jesus in our day? Do we put Him first in our lives? Or are we distracted by our to do lists and devices? Do we seek other things that bring instant gratification or do we meet with the Only One who can truly fill us?
My one word for 2022 is Abide. My goal is learn to fully and wholeheartedly abide in Jesus. I have to wonder if my heart is often found abiding somewhere else – social media, work, my writing, books, television, etc.
Our flesh so quickly and easily seeks anything and everything that will please us for a time. But those things don’t last. And we find ourselves looking for something else to satisfy us.
I recently fasted from several things during lent, including social media. My aim was to lay aside anything that takes my attention from Jesus. Even good things in our lives can steal us away from the One who can truly keep us anchored.
Do we have room for Him in our lives and hearts? Or do we turn Him away because we are filling our lives and hearts with other things? Just like the people in the Inn so many years ago, will we miss out on beautiful miracles and time with the Savior because we don’t have room? I pray we all can learn to make room for Him, today and every day.
© 2022 Bridget A. Thomas
Christians Read 
I’ve been spending time in the Gospels also and I finding it time well spent. You’re right, Bridget, that we need to make room and time for Jesus in our daily lives. As you point out in another post, we can wear busyness like a badge of honor and quickly find ourselves distant from the Jesus we love and serve. Great post!
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Such a good point! There are many things that can keep us from Jesus, including “busyness.” Our intentions might appear good on the surface, but if it takes away from our time with the Lord, then we need to make adjustments. In my own life, I think this is something I need to intentionally evaluate on a regular basis. Thank you for stopping by and commenting. And helping me think even deeper about this! 😁
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I was reading Luke recently, and realized that I was absentmindedly going through certain sections that I’ve read before. I had to stop and ask God to help me be intentional and to reveal something new. It’s amazing to me that there is so much meaning packed in to each verse! Thank you for sharing this! It’s an important reminder to not focus on works, but on Jesus.
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You make a great point! I also have a habit of breezing over passages that I am familiar with. I have to intentionally focus. Next time I plan to read a different translation, in hopes that will grab me in a new way. And yes I agree with your last point as well. It can be so easy to focus on works. May we learn to keep our eyes on Jesus. Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts!
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