If I asked you to envision the night that Jesus was born, you might start thinking of the classic Christmas carol, Silent Night:

Silent night. Holy night.
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin, mother and child.
Holy infant, so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.

But this year I have had a hard time believing that the night of Jesus’ birth was actually “silent” or “calm.” Let me explain why this Christmas has been different for me. A few months ago, my wife and I welcomed our first child to the world, a beautiful baby girl named Everly. The day of her birth has to be one of the best of my life, but to be honest — it was hard (and I had the easiest job out of the three of us!)

If I had to guess, I would say that the day of Jesus’ birth wasn’t that easy either. The very pregnant Mary, after walking roughly 70 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem, gave birth to Jesus without the luxuries of modern medicine and electricity. Yikes … I was less than impressed with my sleeping arrangement, but at least we had a room to stay in!

I think this year is the first time that I considered something that should have been obvious: Jesus was a baby. When I imagine Jesus, I think of Him as an adult — teaching on the side of a hill or healing someone in the middle of a large crowd. But this year as I hold my daughter in my arms, I have started to think about how Jesus was this small, this helpless as a baby. In some ways it is hard to think of an all-powerful and all-knowing God as a little child, but at the same time it makes perfect sense. The baby Jesus provides us with a great example of what worship looks like.

I can tell you as a new parent that it feels like my life revolves around my baby daughter — if she is hungry, she gets fed; if her diaper is dirty, it gets changed; if she wakes up in the middle of the night, my wife or I also wake up. There is an ancient Jewish teaching that describes the first stage of life like this, “[it] commences in the first year of human existence, when the infant lies like a king on a soft couch, with numerous attendants about him, all ready to serve him, and eager to testify their love and attachment by kisses and embraces.”

Do we do this with God? To be honest, I've become more and more aware that Jesus does not always have my full attention. If Everly wants my attention, I give it to her without hesitation; when Jesus wants my attention, it takes me a little longer to get back with him. When Everly wants me up early, I get up early; when Jesus wants me to wake early, I will try to find an excuse to sleep in.

After considering this I have to ask myself: Where do my priorities lie? Now let’s be clear here: I am not saying that we shouldn’t care for our children. However, I choose to give my time and energy to my baby because I love her, but also because her life is dependent on me. With Jesus, I should choose to give my time and energy to Him because I love Him, but also because MY life is dependent on Him.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) 

As a new parent, I know that I need Jesus to guide me in raising my daughter and leading my family well. But apart from Him, when I'm not paying attention to His leading, I can do nothing. Going into this holiday season, and even into the new year, I want to encourage you to take some time to consider where Jesus is on your list of priorities. Are you ready to serve Him when He calls? Or more often than not, is there something else stealing your attention? 

So let the baby Jesus remind us that worship is more than singing a song, it’s more than saying a prayer — frankly, it’s more than serving or giving financially at church. To worship is to love with every fiber of your being, even when it is inconvenient, even when circumstances are difficult and especially when you don’t have to.

This post was written by a group of volunteer writers who strive to share God's truth through an online platform, but may not reflect the views of The Vineyard Church as a whole. To learn how you can get involved, email us at .

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