I read a quote years ago which said, “Usually the husband regards himself as the head of the household, and the pedestrian has the right of way. And, usually, both of them are safe until they try to prove it.” This statement made me chuckle but it also reminded me of how often we get stuck in “how things should be.” We get an idea in our head, particular roles that were modeled for us, we were taught somewhere, perhaps by parents or teachers, that things should be a certain way. None of that is necessarily a problem – until – we lock down on one of these ideas and the rule (expectation) becomes more important that the relationship.
This is the very thing that God addressed when he sent His Son – the Messiah – Jesus. For thousands of years, the Mosaic Law had been a teacher – showing the people important and healthy ways to live. But that teacher or rule had become a taskmaster. The people could never be good enough, they could never perform to perfection – but relating to the rules became paramount. They had lost sight of relating to the Creator. The Messiah was God’s gift to show us, both by His demonstration as well as His sacrifice, how to live in relationship rather than in a set of rules. As we celebrate this season – we celebrate this gift.
Likewise – what gift do you give your loved ones? Whether that is your spouse, your children, your parents, someone you are dating, or other friends – what do you offer them? Do you present to them – “rules to live by,” expectations of how things should be, roles they must fulfill? Or do you offer them the gift of authentic relationships based on and immersed in love? I encourage all of us to consider – what gift will we offer this season?