Embracing Love: Lessons from Advent
Week four of Advent focuses on love and the “Angel’s Candle” is lit. Part of me wonders about why it is the Angel’s Candle when the week’s focus is love. But it was the angels who brought the “good tidings of great joy.” They were the ones who announced that Love had come down to earth in human form.
“God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” I John 4:9-10
As we enter the week of Christmas, how many times do you hear (or say) “I love…?” It might be “I love chocolate.” “I love this song.” “I love cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning.”
All of the above might give me warm fuzzy feelings. I enjoy them immensely, but should I say I love them? My husband’s grandmother always corrected him when he said he loved anything other than God or a human being. Why? Because the very definition of love implies a self-sacrificial attitude towards another person.
God loved us so much He allowed His son to be sacrificed for our sin. As a parent, I can’t begin to get my head around that.
When I ponder the idea of love, probably the first faces to flash in my mind are my children’s. They are grown now. They both live in other states and have established their families, careers, and communities in their respective parts of the country.
I am not sure why, as parents, when we strive to raise competent and independent adults, we are surprised when they are competent and independent. But they are, and I miss my kids something terrible. I don’t get to talk to them or see them nearly as much as this mama’s heart desires.
But here is a truth I have thought about a lot lately. It doesn’t matter how far they move from our hometown. They are still my children. I still love them. The decisions they may make I don’t agree with don’t matter. They are still my children. I still love them. Whether they choose to call me once a month or every other day, they are still my children. I still love them. It doesn’t matter if they don’t heed my advice (requested or otherwise). They are still my children. I still love them.
Of course, I would love to hear from them every day. Of course, I would love it if they lived closer. Of course, I love it when they ask for and listen to my input about life.
The love I have for them is fierce. And I can’t imagine giving them up to save even one person.
But our Heavenly Father sent His only son to this dirty, broken world to save us from our own independence and ignorance. When we receive His gift of salvation, we become His children forever.
It doesn’t matter how far we go away from Him. He is still our father, and He still loves us. It doesn’t matter if we don’t listen to His instruction. He is still our father, and He still loves us. It doesn’t matter that we make foolish decisions without consulting Him. He is still our father, and He still loves us.
Just like a human parent (only with perfect love and perfect patience), our Heavenly Father misses us when we move away from His protections. It grieves Him when we don’t listen to His Word, sin, or make foolish choices with our lives. He gently corrects us. And He still loves us.
When Jesus came to earth the love of God took on a human form. He came to give us the opportunity to become children of God and joint heirs to the Kingdom. But it doesn’t stop there. He wants us to love our children as God loves His children. He wants us to love our spouses the way He loves the Church. And He wants the world to be able to identify His children by how they are suited up for service.
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” Colossians 3:12-14
It is fitting that love is the theme for the fourth and final week of Advent. It was God’s motivation for sending His Son for us. It is how we should be identified as believers. It is the outerwear for our uniform. And it covers over a multitude of sins. As it says in I Corinthians 13, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Without love we are just a noisy cymbal or clanging gong.
His love is eternal.
This message is simple, but there is so much more to God’s love. Don’t just take my word, I encourage you to dig in and study the Scripture to search for and fully grasp the infinite love of God.
How have you experienced God’s love in your life?
How can you show love to someone during this Advent season and throughout the year?
My prayer for you today is this:
“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” Ephesians 3:16-19
This is a beautiful Christmas song to remind us of God’s love: A Miracle of Love – Chris Tomlin
Merry Christmas Friends! My God be with you.
