Our lives are surrounded with so much movement, so many pressures, and so many demands that our spirit is often crowded into a corner. As soon as we awake in the morning, we are taken over by the ruthless urgency of our daily routine. Once we are out of bed, our daily planners and palm pilots take over. In some ways this is good. It means that there is a regularity and structure to our days that make it possible for us to accomplish tasks that would otherwise be impossible to do.
There is, however, another aspect to the matter of daily schedules … an oppressive aspect. Often we allow ourselves to become prisoners to our agendas. We become so busy—note the words, not we are busy, but we become busy—within ourselves that we develop an inner sense of rushing. The danger is that while we might accomplish much and at the end of the day we are able to draw a line through all of the things that we have completed, the reality is our spirit has been neglected.
We are entering a season of frenetically increased activity. In addition to what we are already doing, we must now include all of the shopping, cooking, and festivities of the Christmas season. The joy and the peace of this holy-day tends to elude us as we frantically run from store to store and from event to event. All of this is reportedly for the purpose of getting ready for Christmas. Ironically, when Christmas Day arrives, we miss the purpose of it; we miss the visitation of the Christ Child, for there is no room left in our lives for him.
We must decide to make room for Jesus. Advent is a season of preparation for his coming. We should cross out some of the things on our to-do list and write in time for Jesus. Make room for him by not doing so much on Saturday that you are too tired to worship him on Sunday. Instead of reading all of the newspaper and every popular magazine, take time to read his Word. Make room for Jesus. Seek the will of God for your life. Make room for Jesus and start every morning (or each night) with twenty minutes of quiet time with him. Make room for Jesus and let him abide in your life.