Yesterday was the first Sunday of this advent season. I didn’t grow up in a family that observed the traditions of advent. To me, it was those calendars you buy that had a candy for each day leading up to Christmas.
Advent is the “arrival of a notable person, thing, or event” (Google). So the advent season is the anticipation of that arrival.
For Christ-followers, this is an important celebration commemorating the birth of the one who would as an adult sacrifice his life so that we could experience forgiveness and reconciliation to God, our Father and Creator. It’s not important whether or not it is on His “real” birthday. What is important is that He came, and we recognize the significance of that coming and anticipate His next coming.
Unfortunately, the advent of the reason for the season too often gets lost in the advent of the busyness of the season. It is so easy to get caught up in decorating, baking, shopping, and partying, that quiet time for reflection gets lost in the shuffle.
I have found a couple of sources for excellent devotionals through this advent season. SheReadsTruth has daily posts themed “O Come, Let Us Adore Him.” I use these for my morning quiet time. I also purchased an ebook, Immanuel: A Daily Guide to Reclaiming Christmas. The focus of the book is praying the names of God and Jesus, and I love learning about those many names. I plan for this to be my Bible study through the holidays.
Yes, I will decorate, bake, shop, and party. I love the lights and carols. In the midst of celebrating the advent season, we will also be slipping away for a few days to celebrate our thirty-fourth wedding anniversary. But my heart’s desire through it all is to keep Christ first in our motivations and activities. To focus less on things and more on people, less on gifts of stuff and more on gifts of time and thought. To celebrate advent as the arrival of my Lord rather than the arrival of a crazy calendar and a dent in the bank account.
How will you celebrate advent this year? Will you seek the peace of the Lord or allow the hustle and bustle to consume your time and thoughts? I hope you will join me in seeking peace while learning to enjoy the festivities and control the holiday frenzy!
“For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11 (NKJV)
Sharing my heart,
