Christmas is in the rearview mirror. Decorations are packed away (mostly). School is back in session. Cold weather seems to have settled in as we face the sometimes dreary days of January. It is easy to forget the joy and warmth of the Christmas season as we move into a new year. However, we are encouraged to keep the Christmas spirit throughout the year. We recall the words of Vince Guaraldi’s Christmas Time is Here from The Charlie Brown Christmas Special: “Oh that we could always see such spirit through the year.”The poet Henry Van Dyke wrote a poem entitled Keeping Christmas that contains the line, “And if you can keep it [Christmas] for a day, why not always?”
During December, I read through Winter Fire: Christmas with G.K. Chesterton, written/compiled by Ryan Whitaker Smith. Smith prepared Advent devotions based on Chesterton’s writings and included some of Chesterton’s poetry, essays, short stories, and even recipes. One poem, Gloria in Profundis, spoke of how profound it was for God to “fall” to earth to become a babe. Building on the theme of God “lowering” Himself (Philippians 2:6-7) the fourth and final stanza begins with the line, “Glory to God in the Lowest.”
I was struck by this line, which apparently has had an impact on other people as there is a children’s Christmas musical by the same name, as well as book by a pastor/author who used it as a metaphor for describing his views of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians. No political discussion here, but it is quite an unusual line: “Glory to God in the lowest.” We, of course, sing Glory to God in the Highest and rejoice in the beauty and glory of angels appearing in the night sky over Bethlehem with the wonderful news of Christ’s birth. Many carols rightfully exalt the birth of the Savior, and we paint our mental images of Christmas with the peace of Silent Night, the promise of Joy to the World, the tenderness of Sweet Little Jesus Boy, and the hope of Love Came Down at Christmas. Yet Chesterton gives us “Glory to God in the Lowest.”
Women have given birth in a variety of places and circumstances. It certainly seems lowly to give birth in a stable and lay a newborn in a feeding trough. While Chesterton was writing about the physical circumstances of Jesus’ birth, he was also alluding to the fact that Jesus didn’t come on the clouds in a blaze of glory, but in a lowly, humble, unexpected way.
As I strive to keep the Christmas spirit alive in my heart, I need to focus on “Glory to God in the Lowest.” To me this means when circumstances are hard and I am at my lowest, I need to give glory to God. It is counter-intuitive, but it is necessary. As believers we must take the long view; we know our future. Romans 8:18 states, For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. We should look upward but also look forward. Joy may be found in suffering when we consider eternity.
God is sovereign in the suffering. He is not surprised. He does not think, “Boy! I didn’t see that coming.” Hard times provide an opportunity to draw closer to God. The very fact that He became one of us to break the curse of sin and death proves His love and desire for us. Bad things happen in a broken and fallen world but those things, that suffering, does not change who God is.
Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, And He [Jesus] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore, I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, wit h difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. To be honest (which is an interesting phrase because shouldn’t we always be honest?), I don’t always like these verses or other verses about suffering, but such verses have spoken to me and sustained me at low points in my life.
The low points in life can be transformative. If we glorify God and trust Him in the suffering, He will use it to shape us more into the image of Christ. Is it fun or enjoyable? No, but anything that produces spiritual growth and a stronger relationship with God is to be welcomed, as odd as that sounds.
I could write pages about suffering and the low points of life, but I won’t. I’ll finish with a simple encouragement to give glory to God in the lowest points of life. If you can do that you will find such sweetness when you give Him glory in the high points. And let me be the first to wish you Merry Christmas this year…