Let me start with this caveat: there really is no way to rid ourselves or our children completely of selfishness in this life.

However, we can begin to put to death the misdeeds of the flesh when we do what God has prepared for us since the beginning of time...and what we will do for all eternity.

Examine with me the most audacious story of all time and glean from these characters who knew how to put aside their earthly inclinations. In so doing, we can learn their “secret” to ridding themselves of such selfish acts.

In the book of Luke, Chapter 1, we read of Jesus’ birth foretold. Can one even begin to imagine what it would have been like for Mary to receive this news?

I don’t know about you, but I would have responded more along the lines of Moses, making up excuses of why I shouldn’t be bringing this child into the world… And all for selfish reasons, of course. Fear of being stoned or ostracized by the community. Fear of the future. Fear of what others may think.

Mary however, doesn’t respond this way. She simply asks, “How can this be?” And then with haste takes off to see Elizabeth.

In Chapter 2 of Luke we read that an angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds. “And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.’" (Luke 2:10-12). The text reads that they too made haste to visit Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus.

Next, we see Simeon awaiting what the Holy Spirit had revealed to him: “that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.” And finally in Luke 2:36-38, we see Anna, who has not departed from the temple since her husband’s death and coming up at the very hour she sees the Christ child.

What do all these characters have in common? They all respond with worship.

Mary doesn’t feel sorry for herself, nor does she dwell on her age, status, or fear of the situation; rather, she runs with haste to her cousin in the hill country to praise and give thanks to God. The shepherds respond in the same way after seeing the Christ child. They are compelled to worship. They’re not worried about the sheep out in the pasture. And Simeon and Anna are already doing the very thing Christ had created them to do: worship. They’re not off fulfilling some bucket list of adventures before eternity calls them home, but rather they’re filling their buckets with the one thing that can fulfill them.

Here we see each one of these characters doing the very act they were created for, and thus ridding themselves of selfish acts. Every one of them could have responded selfishly. Mary might have resisted the Lord’s favor. The shepherds could have feared their master’s disapproval. Simeon and Anna, as I mentioned, could have been pursuing their bucket lists.

The premise of Christmas is worship. We are created, compelled, and commanded to worship. Our souls are thirsty for something deeper than any holiday could offer. We lack the life-giving, soul-refreshing, thirst-quenching water that only Christ can give. When we come needy and dependent upon the One who can breathe life into us, we honor Him. Why? Because He doesn’t need anything from us. He already has everything at His disposal. He is alive and well, making intercession for us at this very moment.

I can’t even comprehend His never-ending ability to serve. He has been serving since the beginning of time and will continue to do so. I grow weary from all of my kids’ needs, but He never grows weary of ours!

Let me say that again just in case you missed it. Come needy, come dependent. Christ’s heart looms large to fill the empty void with more of Himself. Come to the stable that welcomes the sinner with open arms and be reminded of who He is in light of who we are. Put to death your “try harder, be better,” American ways. And then let your children see that you too are needy and dependent upon the only One who can give what every one of us is lacking: life, not in ourselves but in Him.

In so doing, selfishness melts away into the wonder of the Lord's glory and grace. It is impossible to think of ourselves - our needs, worries, offenses, fleshly wants - when our hearts and minds are enraptured with Christ. As you model this worship, it will become contagious to your children.

Tony Reinke from the Gospel Coalition says: “The secret to freedom from enslaving patterns of sin is worship. You need worship. You need great worship. You need weeping worship. You need glorious worship. You need to sense God’s greatness and to be moved by it — moved to tears and moved to laughter — moved by who God is and what he has done for you. And this needs to be happening all the time.”

Brian Fikkert, author of When Helping Hurts and Economics and Community Development professor at Covenant College, recently was being interviewed at a Global Missions Conference in Dallas, TX. One of the questions that was posed to him was, “What are the strengths and weaknesses of the ‘me generation’?” One of the positive things he said was this: “This ‘me generation’ - the generation in which we are raising - is asking the church to be the church.”

What he meant is that we should stop playing church, stop pretending we love Jesus when our lives communicate otherwise. This generation sees right through our hypocrisy. Ouch! I’m not sure about you, but that both stung and inspired me. It inspired me to repentance and worship.

Let’s stop pretending we have everything together and let’s live lives that worship Christ. And as we do, I can promise you this: our churches will slowly be transformed and so will we. Our addiction to selfish living may never end in this life, but as we worship Christ in spirit and in truth, our lives will begin to reflect his holiness - and without holiness we can’t see the Lord.

I’ve included a few You Tube videos below that I pray may lead you and your family to a time of reflection and worship. They come from my favorite Christmas album: Chris Tomlin’s Adore

Do me a favor though before you listen to them: prepare your hearts, don’t enter in casually. Really listen to the words and let the Spirit move your heart to worship.

Oh and just in case that wasn’t enough here is one more.

Praying that this advent season finds you in awe of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and compels you to worship! May your ongoing worship then set you free from the misdeeds of the flesh. Merry Christmas!