By Kevin Harris, pastor of the Illawarra Community Baptist Church in Dapto, NSW
And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
Luke 2:7
‘But in Bethlehem’s home was there found no room for Thy holy nativity. O come to my heart, Lord Jesus, there is room in my heart for Thee!’
These words form part of one of my favourite Christmas carols, which is entitled, ‘Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne.’
We understand that the small town of Bethlehem was crowded because of the Roman edict. We do not criticise the innkeeper. Actually, a stable would have provided adequate temporary shelter, the warmth of animals, and at least some seclusion as a makeshift birthing unit.
Yet still those words ‘no room’ arrest my attention. The fact that He was crowded out in Bethlehem illustrates the great crime of humanity, which is our tendency to crowd out the Lord Jesus Christ.
The song ‘Crowded Out’ captures the danger perfectly. You can listen to it here.
These words remind me of our Saviour’s offer in Revelation 3:20 to the Laodicean church: ‘Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.’
When I think of my Saviour who by creation and salvation twice owns me, standing outside the imaginary door of my heart and seeking to be admitted, I could weep.
Could I be so heartless as to make Him ask if He may enter? Should I not be the one asking Him? ‘Lord, would You please come in and truly make Yourself at home?’
Oh, that He might be more than a frequent guest, but a permanent resident, as Paul’s inspired prayer put it: ‘That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith…’ (Ephesians 3:17). The word ‘dwell’ here is ‘to house permanently, to dwell.’
Oh, that He might be welcome as owner of every room in the house of my heart! I will not restrict Him to the formal place reserved for visitors. He can have access to every aspect of my life.
Let me share four quick thoughts of what making room for Christ practically looks like. This is how I envision asking Him to dwell in every room of my heart:
- Plans – Psalm 10:4 says, ‘The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.’ The word thoughts refers to plans. If it is wicked to leave God out of my plans, then it is righteous to consult Him in all of my plans. What I hope to accomplish tomorrow, what I hope to achieve in 2024, all my future dreams – ‘Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?’ (Acts 9:6). I will not choose my own way. He is the Shepherd. I am the sheep who follows the Shepherd where He wishes to take me.
- Priorities – While our tendency is to make daily provisions our priority, the Lord Jesus said, ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you’ (Matthew 6:33). It’s as if He said, ‘You take care of My business; I’ll take care of yours.’ If I truly want to make room for Jesus and avoid crowding Him out, then He must have first place in my thoughts, in my time, in my finances. Long ago He taught me that this means the entire Lord’s Day is to be devoted to Him. Each morning He has an appointment and I must keep it steadfastly or I will be the loser. He gets the firstfruits of all that He gives to me
- Prayer – I make room for the Lord in my life by obeying His order in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. ‘Pray without ceasing.’ Along the way from sunrise to sunset, I must be communicating with Him every opportunity I get. This is the clearly the opposite of a life that neglects Him!
- Praises – I’m challenged by Hebrews 13:15 ‘By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.’ Notice the word continually. A constant stream of praise is to rise from my lips to the ears of my Saviour. Expressions of adoration, love and gratitude are what I owe Him for His kindnesses. Psalm 29:2 says I am to give to the Lord the ‘glory due unto his name.’ In the words of Hymnwriter Robert Robinson: ‘Streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise.’ I want to get to the place where all my daily conversations are interruptions of my streams of praise in return for His streams of mercy.
Father, there’s room here in my heart for You. I freely admit that I easily allow other things to crowd out Christ. Please help me to assess whether You truly are central to my affections, to my priorities, and to my thoughts. ‘Have Thine Own Way,’ I ask in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Kevin Harris is pastor of the Illawarra Community Baptist Church, located in Wollongong, NSW, Australia.