Have you ever noticed that God often values different things than we do? As humans we tend to value strength, but so often God chooses weakness.
In the Old Testament, God chose weakness when he asked Gideon to send most of his troops home and fight with only a tiny minority of his army.
He chose weakness when He sent Elijah to ask for food from a poor widow (she only had enough food for one last meal) rather than to a wealthier individual.
In the New Testament, God chose weakness when He called fishermen and tax-collectors – the lowest of the low in society – to follow Him instead of calling the best and the brightest.
But more astounding than all of these stories, God chose weakness when He sent Jesus into the world. Jesus came into the world, not as an independent adult, not as a child, and not even as a baby. Jesus came into the world as an embryo. An embryo is weak. He is dependent. The God who created the universe and holds it together chose to enter His creation in the weakest and most dependent state possible.
That encourages me.
Our God is not looking for the best and the brightest. He is not seeking credentials. He chooses weakness. He chooses us.
Many of us feel like we can’t really be used by God. We are not talented or powerful enough. We don’t have a big audience or a lot of money. We look around and see other people whom we think God could really use – people with power, influence, talent, etc.
When we think this way, we are missing the point. God is not looking for talented, powerful people. He is looking for people who will trust Him to use them in their weaknesses and their inadequacies. God chooses weakness because in weakness, His strength is most clearly seen.
That is what Christmas is all about.
God came to earth in weakness in order to rescue those who are weak, you and me.
This year, as you celebrate Christmas, take time to be amazed afresh at the incredible reality that God came into the world in weakness to rescue us.