get inconvenienced.

Happy new year, my dear reader. It’s a real pleasure to look up and see clouds floating overhead, birds flitting about and trees swaying in the wind. It’s a blessed thing to have life. A week ago, today, I had the privilege of celebrating Christmas with a few loved ones. It was a livelier day than I’m used to. Perhaps that was thanks to how I’d been reminded of the genuine reason for the season the night before, helping me celebrate with intent. Just over a year ago, I wrote “it’s time to cancel christmas”, and though I still stand by my words from back then, I must admit they stemmed from a somewhat pained heart. This past Christmas Eve however, featured a special reminder: hundreds of years ago, the Lord of lords came to this world of men, in our likeness and our limits. What seemed as a regular day for many was really the greatest crossover in the history of time. Finally, hearts in awe and minds blown, creation could dare to hope once more. That’s what Christmas is about.

An uncommon gift.

Unto us a Son is born, unto us a Son is given (Isaiah 9:6). Indeed, the government rests upon the shoulder of our glorious Prince of Peace. Christmas is a celebration of the commitment of our God, as He proceeded to honour His covenant with mankind. In the name of love, He acted. In the name of faithfulness, He blessed. The result? For the first time since Eden, God walked among men; no longer tucked behind the veil of the Holy of Holies; no longer kept safely away upon the mount; no longer accessible once a year by the most consecrated of men.

It is a remarkable thing: the birth of Jesus is the fulfilment of one of the earliest declarations of our Creator. Heaven and earth, all of creation rejoiced in that day, on account of God’s dispositions towards man. Our God has receipts of His grace. Christmas is proof that He went beyond stretching forth His hand: He presented to us His heart. Better yet, it was neither momentary nor hesitant. He didn’t hover, as if to stay a while, but rather settled in, because He called here home.

Behaviour.

Consider who God sends out on His mission. Precisely: no one. He goes forth Himself . He is committed, fully locked in. He doesn’t outsource the plan; doesn’t hire a few angels; doesn’t play the strategist from on high. Far be it from Him: this covenant is personal. No expenses are too great, no obstacles too significant, no tasks too lowly. There is nothing convenient about this, make no mistake. As part of the assignment, He chooses for Himself partners that understand, that get it. They too endure the inconveniences. Mary takes that which, though a blessing, spelled the end of her respectability in her neighbourhood. Our young Joseph has the most preposterous explanation for his fiancée's pregnancy. If covenant is the aim, convenience cannot ride shotgun; I’m afraid it’s got to go.

In truth, I wonder whether the plan would’ve taken shape in world as ours. In the current year of microwave meals and forgettable reels, where comfort is pursued and convenience rules, our baby Messiah might’ve been thrown out by the time the Magi turned up in Bethlehem. Babies are just not worth dying over; that is so old-fashioned. And doesn’t angel Gabe know there’s a recession on the horizon? Lord help us. We’ve outsourced so much of our lives to products, services and cultural norms. We’re on life support, hooked up to the machinery and battling disconnection anxiety. We've lost the rhythm of reliance, the treasure of trust . Jeremiah will tell ancient Israel, “cursed is the man who trusts in man” (Jeremiah 17:5-6). Certainly, cursed outcomes seem to abound all around, and we’re looking about wide-eyed yet unseeing. We need that divine ointment, that light that purges the darkness in our eyes, to see the unparalleled wonder of our Saviour’s example; Jesus did not choose convenience, but covenant. He eschewed comfort for commitment (Philippians 2:6-7).

Motives.

Our God is committed, we often are not. He disregards convenience while we chase it down. Why? In our search for the convenient, we often find ourselves touting “efficiency” and “wisdom”, but it seldom rings true. God sees His mission through, despite it costing Him dearly, just because. When the Scriptures say that our God is unchanging, that’s a literal claim. By the time He comes to take stock of man’s sin in the Garden, He’s already made His mind up. His decision to create man, to fashion out of the dust one who would take on His image, was not whimsical; the whole intent of the Godhead was behind our existence, yours and mine. It still is. The apostle John, therefore, writes that the Christ was crucified (slain, more specifically) from the foundation of the world . Yes, because the Creator had chosen to create, and would fully implicate Himself in seeing the work of His hands come fully to life. It is personal. Truly, His choice to lay aside convenience is wholly consistent with His character.

I find that utterly stunning. Perhaps in part because it is so often in stark contrast to my own character. He tells me to pray. I pray because some_thing_ [is happening]. He encourages me to fast. I fast because some_where_ [else is where I’d like to be]. He calls me to give. I give because some_one_ [might be pestering me]. He gives me His word. I read because some_how_ [I need to figure out this life on my own terms]. I’ve got things to do, and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out these are wonderful means to my ends. “Sorry God, it isn’t personal.” And that is precisely the problem. There’s always a motive, and it’s rarely Him. Though I’m growing from grace to grace in this area, I’m still so far from choosing Him just because. And that realisation breaks my heart.

Outcome.

As they say, God reveals to redeem. Since that’s not in the Scriptures, let me reword that:

God shines the light in the darkness, because He Himself comes to us. In Him is life, and so as He draws near, He exposes the darkness, reveals truth and gives us life. In short, He brings us to Himself. Truly, He reveals and redeems.

I say this as an encouragement. Though I might not have it in me to choose God just because; though I tend to use Him as a means to an end; though this relationship with Him is often not personal; He is able to transform me from head to toe. I need this transformation, most certainly, but I also desire it. I’m not that old, but it’s clear the way of man sucks, frankly. Covenant costs me, but convenience bloats me. Commitment gives life while comfort quietly assassinates. Despite the expense, the suffering and the shame, Jesus honoured the commitment, fixed His eyes on the covenant and laid down His life. His choice fathered forth endless beauty, infinite in its impact. I see how convenience and comfort stunt growth, stall progress and stifle life. I know which outcome I prefer.

As far as I can tell, there is no middle ground, or any no man’s land. There is no mixing these opposites, no thermocline for any of us to float about in. I, for one, am tired of playing pretend. If my Creator chose me, then I want to choose Him. I read the Scriptures and I simply need to believe what they say. I must. In them lies my only hope. I believe my God is worth it. He’s worth the discomfort. He's worth all the inconveniences. He’s worth the pain. I have to believe it; the alternative is both unbearable and untrue. So I’m through with the tepid ways and empty days. I’m no better than anyone else; it’s not as if I look forward to what it’ll cost me, but I want to want to. Didn’t Eiljah shut up the heavens for three years and six months, though being a man like us? Didn’t the disciples rejoice because they were counted worthy to suffer for the name of their Lord? Didn’t my Saviour declare no greater love has one than to die for their friends, before proceeding to do just that? Indeed, let me go up to Jerusalem, that I may die with Christ. I wish to be extinguished spent and satiated. I want to imitate the One who is perfect and blameless, the One with whom the Father is well pleased. I want to serve my King, storing up treasures in His presence, eagerly awaiting a glorious reunion with my Master.

A challenge.

Christmas is really about covenant. Covenant is the reason why the One in whom all things consist lay in a manger in Bethlehem. This is the One who will later proclaim, “The Son can do nothing of Himself” (John 5:19). The Father had a plan, and the Son carried it out to the letter, convenience be damned. All for us. The Holy Spirit, too, was not to be left out; He "replaced" Jesus Christ as the perfect advocate, sent to dwell within us and lead us into all truth. He, too, speaks not on His own behalf, but only what He hears. Again, for us. It doesn't get more crazy than that, honestly. Was this the joy that was set before Jesus? How can such a vast God, so self-sufficient and satisfied in Himself, be so committed to us?

In light of the above, in this new year, I encourage you to start getting uncomfortable again. Yes Theory would say "seek discomfort". I say, embrace inconvenience. Pursue covenant with God and with loved ones. Stand on the anchoring truth of Jesus as King and Lord, and shape your life so as to honour His authority over you. Pray much. Love much. Forgive much. Weep much. Laugh much. Remember the eternal. Time is not your property and your body is a rental, so apply your heart to the wisdom of God.

Be encouraged; January 1st is a just a week after Christmas. In some sense then, Christmas Day kicks off the final week of the year, and ushers us into a new year altogether. The all-conquering message of Christmas is that God comes to mankind to establish His kingdom and lordship in the flesh, because He wants us. It is the coming of the Messiah. It is a declaration of intent: "I have remembered you, and I have come to you". No matter how lowly, how forgotten, how rejected anyone may be, the Son of God's love has come near, to give love, light and life to them that desperately needed it. God wished to be in relationship with us, but He didn’t leave that wish on His list of new year’s resolutions. Instead, He actually did it: the Incarnation is a stunning portrayal of His dispositions towards mankind. That, right there, is grace: God extending Himself to us. The ultimate expression of sinners receiving what they do not deserve. I hope that this message sparks a fresh hope for a new year. I hope that you're reminded of this truth, week in and week out. I hope it goes from being read in your head to being lived by your heart.

Get inconvenienced. Here’s to your best year yet.