The cost of our redemption was steep on the front in not just at the cross.  It was steep for the Son of God who once sat on a throne of glory in heaven. He shrunk himself down to the size of an ovum and was born in a stable instead of a palace. When Jesus told a would be disciple that the Son of Man had no place to lay his head, he was echoing the circumstances of his birth as well as his public ministry.  Jesus could have descended in glory and lightening when he first came into the world but chose to totally identify with us so he came as a baby,  In doing so, he made himself incredibly vulnerable to the weaknesses, brokenness,  and violence of men. After eventually returning to Nazareth, he grew up subject to rumors that he was an illegitimate child, perhaps, born to Mary and some Roman soldier.

There was also a steep cost for Mary and Joseph and their families back home – their own loss of dreams and reputation, living among strangers for several years, wondering if Herod had anyone tracking them down, and wondering what their beloved families were experiencing back in Galilee.  It would be several years before Jesus ever knew his grandparents and the cost of those in the region of Bethlehem who lost their own sons to Herod was unbearable.

All this is to say that there was an extreme cost on the front end of the arrival of Messiah and well as on the far end at Golgotha. All this is to say that the Father, the Son, and the Spirit thought you were worth the cost. They still do. The great gift of Christmas is your restored relationship with your Father in heaven. Many of us, especially at Christmas time, live with the sorrow that our lives have not played out as we had hoped. We may feel let down, disappointed, or even abandoned by God. But God would not abandon what has cost him so much. He would not leave someone on the side of the road for whom heaven and earth suffered so greatly. You are not forgotten and you have not been devalued. The holidays often put our sense of loss or disappointment under a magnifying glass so that it seems much larger than at other times of the year.

As humans we have a propensity to focus on one thing that we believe would make us happy and then to make that the measure of God’s love for us. Maybe that one thing would be a relationship, a  breakthrough in your career,  a dream home or a “the perfect job.”  Maybe it was the healing of a loved one or the birth of a healthy child. That “one thing” can easily become an idol and an obsession if we are not careful which, in itself, keeps God from answering those prayers. The ultimate prize is always God and his love for us.When  we question that love we need to remember that God’s love for us was settled at the cross.

The key to happiness is not to focus on the one thing that God has not done for you so far or did not do five years ago,  but to focus on everything he has done for you and to give thanks for those things large and small. In every life and circumstance there are blessings both large and small. Each is evidence of God’s love and grace in your life. The apostle Paul declared, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation^” (Phil.4:11-12).

I believe the secret of contentment is first to have faith that God is good. Since “good” is who he is, he can be no other way toward you. He is very aware of what you are going through and is either using your struggle to perfect you for what lies ahead or is in the process of delivering you from that situation. Either way, there is reason to rejoice. To believe that God’s love rules out all hardship, loss, or battle in this life is to deny every story of faithful men and women in scripture who clearly had God’s stamp of approval on them but who also faced life in a fallen world inhabited by the enemy. God’s love does not create the absence of struggle but sees us through the struggle if our faith endures. Thanksgiving for every touch of God and for everything he has done helps to maintain the perspective that is needed in the dark places  of life.

This Christmas, whether you are on top of the mountain or in a valley, remember that you do matter in heaven. You were redeemed at great cost and are highly valued by your Father in Heaven. The Father has left many gifts for you “under the tree” and each has been carefully chosen. Rejoice in the ones he has already placed there as well as the ones he is carefully choosing for your future. Rejoice in his goodness and remember – peace on earth, good will toward men…and you.