Set Him Free

The manger.  The creche.  The beautiful baby Jesus.  During this time of year, we see many beautiful nativity scenes.  I enjoy mine right in front of my sink each year so I can reflect on what this season is all about as I wash the dishes...again.  My kids have a Fisher Price one that they have played with for years playing out the scene of Christmas story (as well as maybe some battle scenes as well. Yup, I got some boys!).
But I realized something this year.  Without even thinking about it, whenever I see a manger scene set up outside someone's house or a church, I look for a chain.  Yes, a chain. People have encountered too many unfortunate events where baby Jesus has been stolen from the beautiful scene.  It perplexes me.  Really?  Baby Jesus during Christmas?  You can't just leave it alone.  Maybe you don't believe in God.  Maybe you are of a different faith and don't celebrate the holiday.  Maybe you are just a plain ole' Scrooge or Grinch.  But can't you just leave well enough alone?  LEAVE BABY JESUS WHERE HE BELONGS!!!  
But no. We have people chaining down baby Jesus.  
It got me thinking.  What about me?   Don't I chain down Jesus when I want too? Don't we all chain him down sometimes?  And not because we are fearful anyone will take Him, but because we want to keep him in one place until we have use for him.  We want him when we want him--or need him because of a challenge that is before us. But when we got it figured out and can do it in our "own strength", we chain him up.  We put him on a shelf. Better yet, we may even box him up from January to November! 

The truth is we need to give Him the freedom to work in our lives.   We need to let Him have his way in our lives and hearts, during both the good times and the not-so-good times. When we chain him up or put him in a box, we are only asking Him to work when we want Him too.  
The truth?  He wants to work in our lives.  Even through the difficult circumstances, He wants to work in our hearts.  Actually, it is especially in the difficult circumstances when He will do His best work!  But the only way that can happen is when we give Him the freedom to move about in our lives and let His will happen, not ours.  We need to give Him the liberty to roam our hearts.   We need to let go of the reigns (or chains) so that He can take over.  
When we chain Jesus down during the Christmas season or any part of the year, we are chaining down all He can do and wants to do in our lives.   When we chain down the One that is to be celebrated during this season, we are the ones that miss out because we have potentially chained down the blessings He wants for our lives.  

This year as you celebrate Christmas with your family, it's easy to leave Jesus front and center. However, as you enter the new year and get back into the groove that is your life, it can be more difficult to remember Him.  But I challenge to keep Jesus where He belongs in 2015. No more chains...

Merry Christmas!