Room at the Inn...

1/16/11

Our Sunday School teacher asked the congregation this question, pertaining to the birth of Christ and the innkeepers who would not make room for Him to be born:  "How can we make sure we have room at our inn for the Savior?" These are my thoughts...

My first thoughts were centered more on what my heart and mind are full of already.  Is my inn too crowded to make room for the Savior?  Have I invited too many trivial and inconsequential guests that might prohibit me from inviting Him in?  Is my music, television, car engine or computer so loud in volume that I don't even hear him knocking?  Am I running so fast and vigorously that I can't even see him standing at the door?  If so, then how can I alter this?  How do I get rid of unwanted guests, reduce the white noise and slow down long enough to take note of things of eternal value?  This is what came to mind...

Picture the foundation of a home in your heart.  With every act of kindness, service, minute spent in prayer or scripture study, showing love to your family, friends, and strangers, the foundation of this home grows in strength and magnitude.  With every act of hatred, anger, selfishness, ingratitude, or impatience, this foundation shrinks in both size and quality.  The choice is yours.  Would you like to build yourself a sturdy, spacious home full of room for ALL of your loved ones, the Savior, and future worthwhile experiences?  Or would you, instead, prefer a shanty fit only for temporary shelter from the elements...one that will not stand up to the storms and tempests of life?  The wind and rain will buffet...the earth will groan and tremble...the floods of adversity WILL rise, no matter which home you choose to build.  It is the nature of this world we live in.  Choose now what the habitation of your heart will be.  If we have already built ourselves a shanty, just remember that we can always start over...it is not difficult to tear such a structure down and rebuild.  After all, the Lord will never repossess the land he gave you to build upon!  No bank or contractor or real estate agent can ever offer such an extraordinary contract or opportunity to match that of our Lord and Savior, our Father in Heaven and the Holy Spirit who promises to be the foreman on any worthy project we should choose to build.