Prepare Him Room: Choosing Your Master

We often consider managing our finances to be stressful or troubling, especially during the holidays. When we plan to invite people over and prepare a meal and provide presents, the pressure of affording it can arise.

However, when we find the joy in giving and providing, we truly feel the warmth of the Advent season. Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, was offered the chance to provide for Jesus. We read in Luke 19:5-6 “‘Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.’ So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.” To be in Zacchaeus’ position, to gladly open our home to Jesus without a concern of financial strain, would be so rewarding. Too often we tend to let our finances control us, but if called on by Jesus to open our home and provide, our next car payment or house payment may look a little smaller.

Zacchaeus was financially prepared enough to welcome Jesus with joyful generosity. We too can find the ability to financially prepare room for Christ. Most of us enjoy coffee in the morning…maybe Starbucks is our thing! But if we eliminated that for even just a week, we could find more room to be generous. This Advent season, find joy in your generosity with others that flows from a preparedness and stewardship that honors Christ!