Not-So-Silent Night

Christmas Eve . . . and we’ve reached the final fruit of the Spirit: self-control, or temperance as it’s sometimes rendered. Today’s Christmas carol is a famous one: Silent Night.

But is it a Silent Night? And should it be?

Silent night! Holy night!
All is calm, all is bright
’Round yon virgin mother and child!
Holy infant, so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace;
Sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night! Holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight.
Glories stream from heaven afar;
Heav’nly hosts sing: “Alleluia!
Christ the Savior is born!
Christ the Savior is born!”

Silent night! Holy night!
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth!
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth!

Silent night! Holy night!
Wondrous star, lend thy light;
With the angels let us sing
“Alleluia” to our King:
“Christ the Savior is born!
Christ the Savior is born.”

What a beautiful, peaceful, idyllic picture is presented in this hymn. Inaccurate? Perhaps not. But perhaps the picture given here is incomplete. Was it peaceful? Undoubtedly. Where God is, peace is. Was there rest? Yes.

But was their tiredness? Was there pain? Were there unwanted interruptions? Was it messy? Were there inconveniences and tough decisions and improvising? Was there constant work to stay warm and fed and get rested? Were there adjustments with the birth and new baby?

Most likely.

It’s quite likely it wasn’t actually a totally silent night. Physically, there were probably cries of a baby and groans of a weary mother. Emotionally, there may have been much inner conflict. Spiritually, the heavens were awake and alive with rejoicing, the proclamations of the news by the angels, and the fierceness of the devil in his war against the Seed of the woman.

In the kingdom of God, this was the biggest night in history.

Yet even with all of this, it was a night of peace, of rest – of things being as they should be in the world, in heaven and earth, mingled with the anticipation of what would come after.

And I think this was exactly how it should be. I believe God designed it this way for a reason.

When His Spirit is in control, heaven and earth become united in a perfect harmony of rest and rejoicing, peace and anticipation, spiritual warfare and inner calm.

And that’s the final fruit of the Spirit – allowing His control in every area of our life.

Despite what we might think, we can never fully control ourselves. Even if we could, there are too many areas outside of our control that directly impact us in ways both major and minor. If we refuse to allow the Spirit’s control in our lives, we’re never totally controlled or totally free.

You see, self-control isn’t control by the self. It’s control of the self . . . by Another. By the only one who can truly control it. The Self is such a slippery, opinionated, willful, emotional creature that it takes a power greater than we possess in ourselves to maintain it.

And that’s where the birth of Christ on that not-so-silent night comes into play in the grand scheme and purpose in the kingdom of God.

Today, how can you allow Him to be Lord in your life? What normal, everyday areas can He take over and transform for His kingdom – perhaps nothing grand or earth-shaking, but equally important in His kingdom?

And then, perhaps even your not-so-perfect days and not-so-silent nights can become holy moments for the Kingdom of God.

Come back tomorrow for Great Tidings We Bring.

Find the rest of today’s Twelve Days of Christmas party posts here. 

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