Advent Week 1 – The Promise: Justice

Waiting with despair vs. waiting with hope

As Christians we are called to wait. We are called to look forward to a time when Christ will come again and bring His justice to this world.

We look around and see so much injustice that at times all we are left with is despair.

I’m not a very patient person.

Waiting is painful for me.

I used to say that patience is hereditary and my dad didn’t have any to spare.

Add that to the fact that I am easily led to despair and you have a recipe for disaster.

I don’t watch the news anymore because it’s just too depressing for me and leaves me completely without hope.

But as Christians we are called to wait with hope.

We are to have hope that Christ will come again and make everything right in the world.

We are to have hope that God is working in all things.

But also we are called to be hope to the people of this world.

There are so many lost people with no hope and no justice.

We are called to be a light into the darkest parts of this world.

When there are people being exiled, we are called to bring hope to them and help in any way we can.

When people are being hurt, we are called to heal.

When we are the ones being hurt, we are called to forgive.

The beauty of Advent, is that we are called to wait and look back to His coming as a child, look among us for His hand at work, and to look forward to His coming again.

I think it’s appropriate that we start the Christian year off with waiting for His coming, not celebrating the actual event.

If we started the year with His birth we would easily forget that we are called to wait for the Lord’s timing in our lives.

As you go through your week, take the time to think of those waiting in our world without the hope of a coming savior and look for ways to bring hope and justice into their lives.

Truly being thankful

So, tomorrow is Thanksgiving.

It’s an interesting holiday here.

It’s become more and more a day we spend pretending to be thankful for what we have. All the while we’re preparing to go spend as much money on things we probably don’t really need.

As Black Friday has grown, it’s even taken over Thanksgiving day.

It seems that it is the real holiday now.

What is meant to be a day of reflecting on the things we have and spending time relaxing with family, has now become a day to spend at the store pushing people out of the way to get an insane price on something we don’t need and didn’t know we wanted until now.

I’m not saying there is anything wrong with getting things on sale, or even going to the store tomorrow.

But maybe before you do, take the time to be grateful for all the things you have in your life.

As for me, I’m thankful that I have a family that loves me.

A God that has saved me.

A body that is still working, most days anyway.

Friends that support me.

A church that teaches me how to worship God better.

A country that allows me to believe as I see fit.

As you go out this holiday season, maybe you can also remember that the people helping you in the stores are people too.

And that, most of the time, they are giving up their time with their family to help you in the store.

So, maybe be a little nicer to those around you this holiday weekend.

Spread some joy as you pick up those savings.

Prepare for the Coming King

This next Sunday is the start of Advent, and I have to say that I know very little about what this season actually means.

So, I looked it up.

Advent means the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event.

It is to be a time of the year where we, as Christians, look towards the birth of our Savior and prepare for His return.

We are called to slow down and wait purposefully.

To long for the coming of our King.

To prepare our hearts for Him.

So much, in our culture, is based on the idea of getting everything you want right when you realize you want it.

We don’t want to wait.

We want to get.

Advent is to be a time where we stop and wait for the coming birth of Jesus.

I find it interesting that the church year starts with Advent.

I think most people would think that it would start with Christmas or Easter. One of the major holidays.

But I think the early church fathers did this very purposefully.

We don’t start our year with a big celebration.

We start with waiting and preparing ourselves for His coming.

We are called to worship Him.

So often today, and especially this time of year, we run around and never stop.

We all look toward Christmas and sometimes, at least for me, can’t wait for the season to be over, because it can be so chaotic and busy.

Culture tells us to get everything we can both for those around us and for ourselves.

But God has called us to slow down and look to His coming.

The past few years the church I go to, Eden Community, has been involved in a movement called the Advent Conspiracy.

It is a movement that calls us to look at this time of year differently

It calls us to Worship Fully, Spend Less, Give More, and Love All.

It looks different for each individual and family.

But no matter what it is calling us to be mindful of our actions and activity during this time of the year.

Maybe spend less on buying gifts for those around you and spend time making them something, or spend time with them.

Maybe give your time or money to a charity that you feel passionate about.

No matter what it is you do, I pray that you would allow for the time to let God change your heart this season.

To change the way you view the month leading to Christmas.

To slow down and spend time with God and with family and loved ones.

To let those around you know how much you care and love them.

Spend time in God’s Word and let Him change your heart, mind, and spirit.

Starting anew

So, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what I should be doing with my life.

I feel like I’ve been adrift for a while now with no real purpose to anything that I did.

I’ve looked at myself and seen someone who I don’t understand or really recognize.

I’m tired of the way things just seem to be passing me by.

I feel like I’m not really doing anything worthwhile with my life.

Like I’m just wondering aimlessly.

The problem is that I can see all of this and yet can’t really seem to find anyway out of it.

I’m tired of feeling lost.

I’m tired of feeling like the before picture.

I’m tired of feeling like I’m not doing what I’m supposed to.

I’m tired.

Yet I can’t seem to find what I should do.

I keep having these plans and thoughts run through my head.

But I just don’t make them happen.

Then another plan has passed me by.

Add another shovelful of dirt on my coffin.

I cry out to God for a rope to pull me out.

Yet it feels like when one is thrown down, I refuse to grab a hold of it.

I’m my own worst enemy.

It’s probably not even someone else adding the dirt, but me burying myself.

I just want to reach out and grab the rope.

To claw my way out of this pit.

God give me the strength today to grab a hold of Your rope and try to find my way out of this darkness.