Christmas... this is how

It's no secret that I am not a handy-man. The only tools I own are: a drill gun, screw drivers, hammer, measuring tape, hanging wire and painting stuff. So what do I do with these? I paint, hang pictures and intall blinds.

So whenever I have something that needs to be done around the house, I call up one of my friends who has the know how and the tools to do it. I've learned how to do a lot of things by working by their side as they walk me through the steps. I've replaced garbage disposals, taken up flooring, laid down vinyl floors, installed tile, replaced toilets and even done some electrical work. All because they taught me by saying "This is how..."
As I continue to read about Christmas and the birth of Jesus Christ, an amazing statement jumps out to me.

Matthew 1:18 "This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about..."

I know where babies come from, and I know how they are born; but this speaks more to me than that. I think about how Jesus continues to become more and more real to me and others. The birth of Jesus was anything but normal. Mary being a virgin, God found favor with her and an angel reveals that she is with child because of the Holy Spirit. She was young and pledged to be married to Joseph, and when Joseph found out he wanted to call the entire thing off. But and angel tells Joseph that Mary was telling the truth and that this is how God wanted to bring Jesus into the world.

Why didn't God just wait to reveal His plan on their wedding day as they were on their way to the honeymoon. He could of told them at the same time, and spared them of years of redicule caused by the unbelief of others. They would of been married, and the pregnancy wouldn't of been questioned. She still would been a virgin...



The longer I live as a follower of Christ, wanting to know Him more and live my life in such a way to fulfill the destiny of my life, the more I've come to realize that God doesn't seem to be concerned with whether or not I understand how He chooses to work in my life. As a matter of fact, often there were surprises. Things happening that I don't seem to understand. Many times my greatests growth has come through great pain and uncertainty.

God wanted to remove all confussion as to who Jesus was and how He came to be. In our life, sometimes God wants to make it absolutely clear that He is doing what needs to be done and that we had nothing to do with it. Our comfort and convenience is secondary to His plan.

When you read the Bible you'll see that God often allowed the most painful circumstances and outrageous conditions to be the backdrop of how He is to reveal who He is and what He can do. His glory... His purpose... His reasoning... His way...

If we don't come to grips with "this is how" God may work, we can become angry and resentful, not allowing ourselves to see God's perfect plan being worked through in our lives.

I'll close with the following scripture. Consider this as you look at life and think about "This is how..."

1 Corinthians 1:18-25 The Message
The Message that points to Christ on the Cross seems like sheer silliness to those hell-bent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense. This is the way God works, and most powerfully as it turns out. It’s written, I’ll turn conventional wisdom on its head, I’ll expose so-called experts as crackpots. So where can you find someone truly wise, truly educated, truly intelligent in this day and age? Hasn’t God exposed it all as pretentious nonsense? Since the world in all its fancy wisdom never had a clue when it came to knowing God, God in his wisdom took delight in using what the world considered dumb—preaching, of all things!—to bring those who trust him into the way of salvation. While Jews clamor for miraculous demonstrations and Greeks go in for philosophical wisdom, we go right on proclaiming Christ, the Crucified. Jews treat this like an anti-miracle—and Greeks pass it off as absurd. But to us who are personally called by God himself—both Jews and Greeks—Christ is God’s ultimate miracle and wisdom all wrapped up in one. Human wisdom is so tinny, so impotent, next to the seeming absurdity of God. Human strength can’t begin to compete with God’s “weakness.”