The advent season looks like a time to have a chocolate per day or a book per day (depending on which advent calendar you get). It’s a time where, each day, our anticipation grows for the next day’s surprise, counting down to the big day, Christmas day. Advent builds our anticipation for the bigger present (gift), and makes waiting pleasant, until at last we come together to share gifts, food, and laughter with loved ones.
There is a truth behind the way we celebrate this time of waiting, the anticipation for the coming of something greater. At the same time, there is also great distraction from what we are really waiting for, and the posture we should have in the waiting.
Before knowing Christ, advent was not a word I would acknowledge, and Christmas was just a season of customs and practices that didn’t hold any deep meaning in my heart. I had an understanding of what Christmas was, but my focus was always on my to-do list, with gifts to buy, people to invite, dinner to plan, and everything in between. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with all of that. It’s a beautiful thing to celebrate this special time with family and friends.
Many people observe the Advent season and Christmas as just that: a nice time of the year to take a break from our “usual” routines, and celebrate with food, family time and gifts.
Again, there is nothing wrong with celebrating this way. These are beautiful examples of how we demonstrate our love for others, but we shouldn’t allow all the customs and traditions of the Christmas season to distract and separate us from the true meaning of Christmas. We shouldn’t lose focus of the real reason this season is so full of joy, peace and love.
So, what it all the waiting and the anticipation of the advent season preparing us for? What is the coming that we are waiting for? What is the Big day that we are truly expectant for?
John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” gives us the answers to those questions.
The love that we feel is the love of God towards us; the Joy is the joy of heaven and earth celebrating that Jesus is here with us; and the Peace is Jesus himself, who tells us that God is with us. The waiting and expectation of advent is for His coming, to celebrate the Big day when we will see him again.
During this advent season, let’s refocus our attention. Let’s fix our eyes on Christ, so that even in the busyness of life, we can stop to contemplate the goodness of God that gives us new life, and that we have a posture of daily gratitude. In the coming days, we will learn to practice to be still in the midst of the noise and listen to His voice. Allow God to speak into your heart, that this time is for you, that the greatest gift of all has been already given to us, and as we share chocolates, food, and gifts with others, let us do so knowing that it is because we are sharing what Christ has done for us.
Prayer
Father, I thank you for loving me so much and for giving me the greatest gift of all, Jesus, your only son, so I could have eternal life with you. I pray that this season, you teach me to rejoice in your presence and fix my eyes on you, that as I share with others the love, peace and joy that you give us, I will remember that it is because of You that all of this is done.I love You, Lord, and I pray you teach me to love You more.