The Hartley Sentinel-The Everly/Royal News - Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties

Let's be honest – we don't see ourselves as a spiritual being. However, we are a spiritual being having a very real human experience. We see ourselves as human first and spiritual secondary. This Christmas, maybe we can see the celebration of Christ's birth for what it really is – a very real spiritual experience, that involved very real human people.

It's easy for us to read the account of Jesus' birth in Scripture and forget that these were real human, ordinary flesh-and blood people. Mary was to be found with "God's favor upon her." God did and still does use ordinary people for an extraordinary event. To be found with God's favor upon us is simple. When God asked her to be part of His plan for bringing His Son into the world, she responded, "May it be to me according to your Word."

What is God asking us to do or to be a part of today? Is our response to God's request like that of Mary's? Celebrating the birth of Jesus at Christmas is the same simple request by God to us. Do we believe all these events that surround Christmas. Can we say, "yes," let it be as you say God? The choice is yours to say yes and believe or no, I really don't believe this story. After all, many aspects of the birth of Jesus are truly a miracle. Angels appearing, conceived by the Holy Spirit, virgin birth, born in a sheep barn, stars appearing in the sky that led shepherds – wow.

What is our response? Let it be according to your Word; or no, I really can't believe this story? Yet, we celebrate Christmas. All God wants from us is a response that exercises our faith. All God wanted for Mary and wants for us is to instill into our spiritual being that our value comes from Him and Him alone. Upon a confession to believe in Jesus we become sons and daughters of the Most High God. We then move through this world deeply connected to Him. Our identity is now rooted in something much larger than we can imagine, confidently causing us to step out in faith believing like Mary. Too often we believe a lie that God can't or wouldn't use a person like us. Our self-talk tells us we are not good enough.

Maybe this Christmas we can put aside what the fleshly, worldly system says about us. We are too weak, too young, too old, not now, too tired, not enough time. Rather embrace the spiritual side of who we really are. To simply say, "Let it be to me as your Word says." Step out in faith keeping your focus on Jesus as Mary did. She had 20/20 spiritual vision, which enabled Mary to maintain her passion for her faith. It caused her to maintain a purpose for her life and heart for God. She gave God her life and lived to His desires and pondered all this in her heart.

This Christmas may we celebrate with the spiritual passion and not a wordly possession. May we be like Mary and see it in the spiritual with a power that the world cannot touch. After all, we are spiritual beings having a very real human experience.

Merry Christmas!