The God Who Came Near: Why the Incarnation Changes My Ordinary December
Every December, I find myself caught between the wonder and the whirlwind. The wonder of Christmas lights, Advent readings, and carols that remind me of God’s great promises. And the whirlwind of family schedules, gift lists, and the ever-growing pile of laundry that seems to mock my desire for stillness.
There are moments when I want to pause and remember the sacredness of this season—but life, it seems, rarely slows down. And yet, it’s precisely in the midst of that chaos that the heart of Christmas speaks the loudest: our God came near.
1. The Nearness of God in the Everyday
The Incarnation—God taking on flesh and dwelling among us—wasn’t a holy moment set apart from the noise of ordinary life. It happened within it. Jesus came as a baby into a home with straw and dust and animals. He came into a world of sleepless nights and crying babies, of imperfect families and unpredictable days.
For mothers, that truth should take our breath away. The God who holds the universe became a baby who needed to be held. The One who spoke galaxies into being learned to form words from Mary’s lips. When we feel like the sacred and the ordinary are at odds, the Incarnation reminds us: God is present in both.
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory…” — John 1:14
So when you’re stirring oatmeal, wrapping gifts, or driving to school in the dark of a winter morning, remember: the nearness of Christ transforms the ordinary. There is no space too small, no task too mundane, for His presence.
2. The Incarnation Reframes Our To-Do Lists
It’s easy to see December as a string of demands—shopping, baking, hosting, planning. But the Incarnation tells a different story: it’s not about what we accomplish but what God has already done.
Every other religion demands that we climb higher, do better, reach upward. But in Jesus, God came down. He entered into our humanity not to add more to our plates, but to fill our emptiness with His fullness.
When we feel pressure to make Christmas magical or meaningful, the Incarnation gently whispers:
“The meaning has already come. He’s here.”
So as you make lists and check them twice, let the doctrine of the Incarnation reorient your heart. You’re not performing for a distant God—you’re living in the presence of a near and gracious Savior.
3. The Incarnation Shapes Our Motherhood
As mothers, we often feel the tension between wanting to give our children a picture of Jesus and realizing how limited we are. We’re short on time, patience, and sometimes, even joy. But the Incarnation tells us that God delights to work through smallness.
Mary didn’t have status, wealth, or resources. She had surrender. She made space for God to do what only He could do. And that’s what faithful motherhood looks like—making room for Christ in our homes and hearts, even when life feels ordinary.
Each time we whisper a prayer over a sick child, comfort a tantrum, or fold another tiny pair of pajamas, we mirror something of the God who came close. Jesus dignified human limits by taking them on Himself, which means our small, daily acts of love matter profoundly to Him.
4. The Incarnation Gives Hope to the Weary Heart
Some Decembers are joyful; others are marked by loss, loneliness, or exhaustion. But the God who came near doesn’t wait for our hearts to be tidy before entering in. He draws close to the weary, the worn, and the waiting.
If this season feels heavy, remember: Emmanuel means God with us. With us in the grief, in the longing, in the stress and the stillness. He is not a far-off deity watching from a distance; He is a present Savior who knows our frame and enters our pain.
“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” — Psalm 34:18
This is the miracle of Christmas: not that we have come to God, but that God has come to us.
5. Bringing the Incarnation to Life in Your Home
As you tell your children the Christmas story this year, help them see that Jesus didn’t come only once, long ago—He came for us. Use simple, tangible ways to remind your family of His nearness:
- When you hang ornaments, talk about how each story points to Christ using the Jesse Tree Ornament & Card Set.
- When you gather for bedtime stories, open your ABCs of Christmas cards and read one letter together—just one small truth a night.
- When you need a quiet moment, color the Family Tree of Christ Advent Jumbo Coloring Sheet as a family while you talk about how God’s promises unfolded through generations.
These simple moments become small altars of remembrance—ordinary acts that tell an extraordinary story: the God who came near is still near today.
The Incarnation means that the God of glory stepped into time and space, into skin and story. And that changes everything—especially December.
This season, as lights twinkle and calendars fill, may we pause to remember that Jesus has already done the drawing near. Our only task is to notice, to worship, and to welcome Him into the middle of our ordinary lives.
