5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. Luke 2:5-7

Presumably others who were in Mary’s condition would have come to town to register also. The tiny town must have swelled up considerably compared to its normal size. Unfortunately they weren’t the only people in that predicament.

He should have been born in a palace or a mansion or a sanitary hospital. He should have.

But He wasn’t.

As we look through our 21st Century lens (and having read His full account on earth), we see that He actually HAD to be born under humble conditions. It just wouldn’t have been right otherwise.

Both Mary and Joseph presumably did what they could to literally make the best out of a bad situation but it was a tall order.

They were dealt a bad hand and they played what they had. There was no indication that they grumbled or complained about their lot in life. They knew that what they were doing was from God Almighty Himself. Still, as parents they wanted to have the best for their child and in a stable wasn’t a great start for the kid.

Or was it?

I’ve known plenty of people in life who had humble beginnings who did really well for themselves. They said that the struggle helped them tremendously to be where they were today. Whereas, if you have everything handed to you without having to earn it or fight for it, you get soft and don’t know how to “fight.” You don’t appreciate it.

This principle applies to the life, spiritual life, and society as a whole.