Series: Advent

As we go into the new year, we keep the idea of Advent with us. Jesus can arrive in our lives at any time, and we hope for his second coming in the future! Today, he can be our Prince of Peace when we feel anxious, our Wonderful Counselor who guides our lives and decisions, our Mighty God defeating enemies around us, and our Everlasting Father who cares about us and our problems.

Life has a way of being disrupted by one thing or another. Something comes up, catches us off guard, and we wait for that thing to be over so we can get on with life. What if we responded differently to these inevitable distractions? Like the shepherds disrupted by the news of Jesus’s birth, we can listen and look to God and tell others about the distractions in our life and what God is doing.

When Jesus arrived on earth, he brought and showed us the way to live a God-honoring life. If we want to experience the life of Jesus and all that that life brings, we must adopt the lifestyle of Jesus ourselves. We slow down to connect with God, serve others, and sacrifice with eternity in mind. Jesus always has and always will invite others to “Follow Him” and be committed followers, not just fans.

In this Christmas season, we reflect on the meaning of “Advent” and how it applies to two arrivals: Jesus’s birth in the past, and His future Second Coming. As we wait, we must have hope. Hope that confidently expects our faith to bring results, and that trusts entirely on the person of Jesus.