Advent – The Season Of Expectation
In week one, we set ourselves up for an entrance to grace manifesting.
That is what Hope is – an expectation of Good.
Think of it like this…
When the season arrives, you wonder, ‘What can happen in my inner life this Christmas to brighten and expand my Jesus experience?’
You gather some ideas and pray for them with a pre-delivery thankful tone and mindset. That is the birth of HOPE.
As we continue on this adventure that began with hopeful ideas, we come around the corner to peace. Peace, in the biblical sense here, is not a lack of conflict but rather a transcendence in the midst of conflict.
It is a disposition of grace. We often mistake grace for mercy. Mercy is God’s love that covers our rebellion and standing apart from God. Grace is God's ability to do what we would have difficulty doing in our own power.
When the angels announced the arrival of the Christ child to the shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem that starry night, the message was truly a herald of grand proportions; I have translated/paraphrased one of the most well-known sentences of this story. It goes like this, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” When we hear that, we think of the absence of conflict. That is not the peace the angels proclaimed.
In the original language, the announcement recorded by the physician/historian Luke was much more personal and enriching. It spoke to the power of Jesus coming into our world so that he could come into our lives and make us whole from the inside out. Allow me to separate it out for us…
Glory to God in the highest Focus your highest thoughts on God's manifest presence sent from heaven.
On earth Acknowledge heaven has come to the soil where you stand. Heaven is not out there somewhere; it is here.
Peace Health, wholeness, and soundness (your life put together and at peace) are yours (present)
Goodwill to men Humans who are enjoying God’s grace are recipients of His favor.
So, at Christmas, the expectation of Peace is realized by the promise of the angels, the attention of humans to God’s presence, and receiving the grace offered through Jesus. He makes us whole and puts us together, creating soundness of self, which is inner peace.
In Advent, we have an expectation – HOPE.
Hopeful expectation allows us to trust God’s way and will, giving us PEACE.
But wait, that’s not all. We still have two great elements of Jesus' entrance to look forward to: Joy and Love. Stay tuned!
Will you share this with a friend and encourage them to participate in a spiritually focused Advent season? Merry Christmas!
Comments