Life is messy. If you’re a parent, there’s a good chance that right now your house is strewn with toys. But beyond that, sometimes life just feels like one big mess. 

In those times, we rest in the knowledge that God isn’t afraid of a mess. 

Despite the depictions we see on Christmas cards, Jesus entered the world in a dark and dirty environment. Stables at this time were often caves with feeding troughs, or mangers, carved into the rock walls. This was not the royal birthplace people would have expected for the Messiah and king.

Jesus’ birth reminds us that God is not limited by our expectations, but our expectations can limit our understanding of His work on Earth. In Jesus’ years on Earth, He never shied away from a mess. In fact, He gravitated toward them. Promiscuous women, tax collectors, and sinners of all kinds found Jesus’ love and grace readily available. 

 If we let him, God will turn our mess into our message.

God is at work all around us — even in dark and dirty places we might not expect. God doesn’t just embrace our mess. He is willing to enter our mess with us, hold our hand, and if we let him, God will turn our mess into our message.

Reflect:

• How have you seen God meet you in the mess in the past?
• What kind of mess are you facing today?
• How does it change your perception of the mess you’re facing knowing that Jesus is with you, helping you through it?