Each week during the season of Advent, our blogs will focus on a central theme which is associated with the coming of Christ—His Advent.  This week’s theme is LOVE.  Christians throughout the world celebrate Advent.  Some light candles or sing songs; some give gifts or  hang wreaths.  All of these are simple joyous ways of extending the celebration of Jesus’s coming beyond a mere 24 hours on December 25. Our prayer is that these devotionals throughout this season of Advent would help you to celebrate His first Coming and anticipate with the peace and joy of His second Coming.

Love.

Some things in life can only be shown or displayed in one or two ways.  Love is a verb that has numerous forms…tons of ways of expression. Books have been written about it, songs have been sung, and poems have been penned.  Jewelry stores relay the message that their product is how husbands can show their wives they love them around Christmas time, car companies do the same for wives and toy companies do the same for parents. Love seems to be everywhere.

Some people have the love language of receiving gifts—to some, material things help them to see how much you care for them and, to these people, Christmas is a great day of expressing how we feel. And to be honest, despite our attempts to say ‘I don’t do this’ but I think all of us enjoy receiving gifts; we enjoy being thought about, appreciated and loved.

But, as easy as it is to lose our peace and hope during this time of year due to the storm of holiday excitement, it is just as easy to lose sight of the one of the truest expressions of love—one of the greatest gifts we as a people have ever received.  And that is the birth of Christ.  I try to teach my kids that Christmas is a time of giving and it’s also a time of receiving.  But when they get caught up with a case of the “I wants,” I have to stop them and ask what Christmas is all about. I need to do this for myself as well; I need to remember the love of Christ that carries me not only through this season but through every day.

But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared,
not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Titus 3:4-7

Are there Scriptures  or songs you turn to when you need to be reminded of Christ’s love for you? How do you keep your eyes on the truest expression of love during this time of year?

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Let’s pray: Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your gift of Christmas.  Thank You for the gift of Your Son and for the gift of love—Your love and the ability to show love to others. Please help us to see the things this season that will keep us close to You this holiday. Thank You, Father.  In Jesus name we pray, amen.