First and foremost let me state what you’re thinking: ARE YOU SERIOUSLY POSTING SOMETHING ABOUT THE BIRTH OF JESUS WHEN THE BIBLE DOESN’T TELL US WHEN HE WAS BORN!? I am. Do I believe Jesus was born on December 25th? No. Do I believe that He was even born in the winter? Probably not. Do I think the entire world is focused on Jesus and that maybe we, as His people, should capitalize on this moment? Absolutely.

Now, I should tell you I don’t celebrate the holiday of Christmas as a religious one. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t value the birth of my Savior. Which is why, today, I want to share with you an important lesson from the manger–one that I, at least, need to hear more often.

You see, Jesus’ birth teaches me something that I so desperately need as a woman of God, and that is a lesson in submission. Eww, yes, I know, the nasty S word, which means to willfully place oneself under another. Usually, we hear this word in reference to submitting to our husbands, and have wrongly been lead to believe that that means allowing our husbands to make every decision in our lives whether we like it or not. For more on that subject, you can check out a sermon my husband did recently. Still, the Bible does tell us that we are to submit to our husbands, but that’s not the only submitting we’re to be doing.

If we back up just one verse in Ephesians from where we, as wives, are instructed to submit to our husbands, we see that we, as Christians, are to submit to one another (Eph. 5:21). But that’s not only directed toward women–it’s everyone. Everyone is to submit to every other Christian. Each of us are to be placing others ahead of ourselves. Sounds vaguely familiar, doesn’t it (Matthew 18:1-4)? Still, it’s not an easy task to accomplish, which is probably why the New Testament is replete with passages instructing us to do so (1 Peter 5:5, Philippians 2:3).

But what does that have to do with the manger?

Clearly, God, in His infinite wisdom, knew that submission would be a tough one for us humans to grasp. He knew that our nature was not to be led, but He also knew that it would be a lesson we had to learn in order to be pleasing to Him. Which is why the manger scene happened.

The lowly birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ taught us, from His introduction to the world, about submission. A popular song puts it this way: “There have been many babies to become a king. But only one King, became a baby.” From the outset, Jesus taught us that placing yourself in a state of submission was the key to inheriting the kingdom of heaven. And what better example than for the Son of God, the One through whom the world was created, to become an infant–dependent upon one He created. To be born in a manger of all places, instead of having a proper king’s welcoming committee. But that was our Lord. Not focused on pomp or prestige. Instead, spending Himself in service to His Father–eating with sinners, associating with the ill and maimed, going hungry and homeless.

This lesson is an especially timely one for me. No, not because Jesus’ birthday falls this time of year, but because the lesson of submission and yielding to one another seems lost on many professing His name. How many of us are quick to classify others’ sins as greater than our own, instead of seeing ourselves as Paul saw himself: “me, who am less than the least of all the saints”? How many of us are quick to disassociate with the poor and sin-ridden or are quick to esteem the rich and well put-together?

No, I don’t believe Christmas should be celebrated as the birth of Christ–because that’s not what Jesus was about. He wasn’t about fanfare. He wasn’t about making a show of who He was. Instead, He was all about serving others, placing others above His divine Self, and pointing them to the Father. Let’s make that what this time of year – and every time of the year – is about. Serving. Submitting. Humbling ourselves. Because really, that’s what the manger teaches us: That Christ, the predicted Messiah and One who was there in the beginning, came to earth as a humble, reliant, submissive baby. And if the King of Kings can be those things — could give up EVERYTHING to come here (Phil. 2:5-11) — we can, and must, too.

So please, don’t argue with people about why they’re wrong for celebrating the birth of Christ. Don’t criticize or make yourself out to be ‘better’ or ‘more informed’. Instead, serve them. Place yourself under them. Have more regard for them than yourself. And teach them what Jesus is really about: living a life of submission to God the Father.