Pointing Toward The Stable

So [the shepherds] hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

LUKE 2:16–18

A CHRISTMAS PROGRAM MOVED ME TO TEARS WHEN DANCE after dance centered the audience’s attention on the newly born Christ child. These dancers (my two daughters among them) were beautiful and gifted and graceful, but their most significant act occurred at the end, when, through their motions and the stage lighting, they turned all eyes away from themselves and toward the feeding trough—symbolically, toward Jesus.

It was a splendid ending, and though Christmas comes just once a year, its penetrating truth should pierce our hearts every second of every day: we live to point others to Jesus.

This purpose—living to point others to Jesus—is essential to the notion of sacred parenting. When parenting is about me—my comfort, my fulfillment, my happiness, my joy in life, whatever—I’ll regularly compare the cost with the personal benefit. But when I live to point others to Jesus, personal sacrifice is a red carpet leading them to the place I desire them to go to above all else.

The glorious day will come when nothing else will matter but him. Forgiving and being forgiven—that will all be over. Measuring our perceived wants against faithful stewardship of the resources God has given us—that’ll be in the past. Paying bills, scheduling doctor and dentist visits, attending sporting events and school programs—nothing but history. In one incredible, all-consuming moment, every eye of every human who ever lived will be riveted by the splendor of God’s glory.

Pointing others to Jesus is the guiding principle and motivation of sacred parenting. When we consider our children’s activities, their friendships, the neighborhoods we live in, potential moves we might make, our children’s use of free time, how to educate them—the root issue is how this decision will ultimately affect their relationship with the child born in Bethlehem two thousand years ago.

Yeah, they may improve as a gymnast if they leave home and train with that internationally renowned instructor—but how will it affect their love for the Lord and their training in him? Yeah, that school may have certain educational advantages—but how does that weigh with crafting a heart captured by its affection for Jesus?

This purpose influences not only how we parent our children; it also sheds light on our own sacrifices. I can lose this focus a dozen times or more in a single day. But I know I’m a much better parent when this vision—pointing others toward Jesus—drives me, when it so consumes me that I don’t see anything else. My own sacrifice? What’s that compared to the cross? The financial cost? Just how much is heaven worth? One more obligation on my time? Hey, I’ve got eternity waiting for me!

But without this vision, I can act like a martyr for giving up thirty minutes of television. I can make postponing the purchase of a new set of golf clubs the equivalent of giving up everything I have to the poor. I can make a busy day running errands seem like it’s half my life.

This day, let’s turn our heads, our hearts, our minds, our souls—our entire being—toward that little baby who grew up to reveal himself as Savior and King. Are our kids living to point others toward him? Are we living to point others toward him? Or are our families being distracted with selfish aims and selfish ambition?

I’ve told my kids, “Our story is built on his story.” Our family life is there to point to the “First Family”—Mary and Joseph and Jesus. In the ultimate scheme of things, we don’t matter. This may sound harsh in this self-actualizing age, but the truth is, if I had never existed, this world wouldn’t be substantially different. But Jesus is all. Without him, there would be nothing. He is the focal point of eternity, and our calling is to take whatever tiny little light he’s given us and point it straight into his overwhelming glory.

To parent is to proclaim the glory of God—his worth, his wonder, his majesty. Is your family focused on pointing others toward him?

Heavenly Father, when you sent your Son, you sent our hope, our joy, and our salvation. Let us remember that family life isn’t about us as much as it is about pointing others to your Son. In his name we pray, amen.