Hello Kathryn,

Thanksgiving is now behind us, and we are moving at a fast pace towards Christmas! The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is here, and our calendars are filling up with entertainment, shopping, and family gatherings.

But in this season, let us not get too busy that we forget the reason that we celebrate. Most often we talk about Jesus in the manger along with Mary and Joseph. But recently in this season of my life, I am realizing the depth of love that Christ has for us and how much that is manifested in Jesus’ birth.

We find an example of this love in the book of Philippians. I know this is not typical Christmas scripture, but these verses tell us the mind, humility and love of Christ which is the birthplace of Christmas. Chapter 2 Verse 5 says, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.”

To be truly humble and obedient to God we must take the form of a bondservant and not place so much value on our personal reputation. Our reputations, whether we like to admit it or not, are very important to us. We feel that it is something we have established and something that we have worked hard for. But in reality, God set aside His own deity because of His love for humanity and came as a baby to be the ultimate sacrifice for our sin.

We can model this humility in our obedience to His voice in our lives. We are saved from sin to serve Him and do His will and not our own will. There is a cost that comes with doing the will of God. However, the eternal glory that awaits us for our obedience outweighs the cost.

So, this Christmas season remember that Christ’s birth is an act of love for humanity. Without the virgin birth, there would be no hope for redemption.

Until next time,