The Humble Christ

“Down in a lowly manger, the humble Christ was born.”

I've often wondered why the Gospel message became much more powerful, palpable, and fresh in widowhood. My pastor’s words began to resonate deep in my soul on Sunday mornings. I found myself devouring scripture. Why hadn’t my eyes welled up with tears as I sang of the goodness of God before? So many things began to change in this season. As I have pondered the humble birth of Christ this Christmas, I have more clarity on something that could explain these experiences. Humility offers an invitation.

Words like meek, lowly, and contrite are a theme in the Christmas story. I recently came across a simple definition of meekness. Meekness waits for God to bring about justice. A more detailed meaning of the word is found in Strongs translation: Meekness toward God is that disposition of spirit in which we accept His dealings with us as good, and therefore without disputing or resisting. Gentleness or meekness is opposite to self-assertiveness and self-interest. It stems from trust in God's goodness and control over the situation. The gentle person is not occupied with self at all. This is a work of the Holy Spirit, not of the human will.

There isn’t much in the Christmas story that unfolds the way man would have planned it. God’s ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8). A deep trust in His goodness and His control over every circumstance jumps out all throughout the story. We learn from Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and wise men what a gentle and contrite spirit looks like. They show us what it means to be meek.

Maybe it’s the humble spaces we find ourselves in that offer a great invitation. What if it’s here we see His glory? It’s in the unexpected places. It’s when our life pans out differently than we expected. In all things God is good, He is in control, and we can trust Him. He's going to come through. Like that blessed Christmas morn.