Monday, December 13, 2010

Take Jesus Out of the Manger…And

I have some wonderful girlfriends around the country who have a heart for serving God and for ministering to women. I’ve challenged them to challenge their women to take Jesus Out of the Manger just like I’ve challenged you. You may be wondering, “What’s the point?” Good question.


We decorate every year. We decorate our homes, our cubicles, our yards and even our cars for the holiday season. What if we all left baby Jesus out of the manger? Some do already. Some only put baby Jesus in the manger on Christmas morning and celebrate His birthday. But what if, we take baby Jesus with us wherever we go. I challenged you last week to carry the baby Jesus in your purse. This week, I challenge you to take baby Jesus out every time you open your wallet to buy anything. Set baby Jesus up there right beside the card reader. Keep Him there until your purchase is finalized.

Do you think this has the potential for starting a conversation with the sales clerk? Do you think the person behind you might wonder why baby Jesus is in your purse? So, now, not only are you focused on Jesus, but the cashier and the person behind you. Isn’t that what Christmas is about? This is your opportunity to say, “I believe in saying Merry Christmas because I believe in Jesus Christ, so Merry Christmas.” How simple is that?

Now, what if there is a woman in that same line an hour later who takes her baby Jesus out and places it beside the card reader? What if she does the exact same thing? She has taken the challenge to say, “I believe in saying Merry Christmas because I believe in Jesus Christ, so Merry Christmas.” Do you think it will make an impression on that clerk?

You know what else that means? We will have to be on our best behavior! That clerk will be watching and listening. Are you different from all the other customers who haven’t looked her in the eyes the whole day? Will you be like the others in her life who barely recognize her existence, or will you take the opportunity to look her in the eye and say, “I believe in saying Merry Christmas because I believe in Jesus Christ. I’ve taken Jesus out of the manger and take Him wherever I go. Why don’t you come to our Christmas Eve service?”

Ladies, when the shepherds went to the find baby Jesus, they didn’t keep Him all to themselves. Luke 2:17 said they told everyone what they had been told about the child and that those who listened were amazed. We don’t need to keep this to ourselves. It’s not enough to carry Jesus around in our purses much less our hearts. We MUST share Him, so take Him out of your purse every time you pull out your wallet. I challenge you, and I’d love to see the faces on those who start seeing us pull little baby Jesus’s out of our purses. I want to hear about lives changed because we were bold enough to share Jesus in this simple way…my guess, it is your life that will be forever changed.

His Daughter,



Kristy

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