Advent: a Time of Coming and Becoming

In most Christian churches, the four weeks leading up to Christmas are observed as the season of Advent, a time of preparation for the celebration of Christ’s birth. Believers use these weeks to review the events leading up to Christ’s coming and to center our thoughts on Him. However, from the hysterical scavenger hunt that is Black Friday, through the glut of second-rate Santa-themed entertainment, the marketplace and sentimental traditions make it increasingly difficult to put Christ in the center of our thoughts and activities, and walking on eggshells to avoid offending non-believers only makes it worse.

The renowned theologian, Oswald Chambers, had a way of cutting through distractions and coming straight to the point with his messages to Christians. In the daily devotional adapted from his book “My Utmost for His Highest”, the reading for November 27 gives us the remedy for observing a meaningful Christmas in our times. If we want the spiritual power to avoid being caught up in the hype of the hectic “Happy Holidays” mentality, the answer is to become consecrated.

We must never allow anything to interfere with the consecration of our spiritual power. Consecration (being dedicated to God’s service) is our part; sanctification (being set apart from sin and being made holy) is God’s part. We must make a deliberate determination to be interested only in what God is interested. The way to make that determination, when faced with a perplexing problem, is to ask yourself, “Is this the kind of thing in which Jesus Christ is interested, or is it something in which the spirit that is diametrically opposed to Jesus is interested?”

As we make our plans and write our “to do” lists this year, if we apply this test to our own Christmas activities, it may become clear just where we need to expend our energies and which things are better forgotten.

Wishing each one who reads this a Consecrated Christmas of peace and joy.

[Orig. Posted on December 1, 2013]

As many of you know, I write Christian fiction as J.B. Hawker. If you would like to receive updates when I have a new book, or a promotion, you can sign-up for my monthly email newsletter by clicking on the gift box (below). Your Thank You gift is a collection of my Christmas short stories and recipes, Cozy Christmas Sweets:

1 Response to Advent: a Time of Coming and Becoming

Karen Surprenant says:

December 15, 2017 at 10:40 am

Thank you for expressing what I was thinking.

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