“Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” – 1 John 3:18
“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” – Philippians 2:1-11
Where did the time go?
Folks, the time is upon us. Christmas trees are twinkling, outdoor decorations have been up for a while, Christmas parades have happened in many places, and day school Christmas programs are about to take place (Or maybe they are already past). But, wasn’t Thanksgiving just yesterday?? Did we not just have our first Advent service? What in the world happened?
I don’t know about you, but I have these thoughts all year long. As a teacher, I still feel like it should be the first week of school. Yet, we are well into the second quarter. What happened to all that time? My students have mastered skills that we had only started a couple of months ago, and my children at home seem to get bigger every single day. What have I been doing?
The sad reality is that many people, including myself, are constantly looking forward. In my busy schedule, I am always checking the calendar for meetings, keeping up with the stack of papers that won’t grade themselves, and performing other tasks. Also, I am always looking forward to the weekend, and I imagine so do you.
Calendars tend to fill up fast, especially as children get older and are involved with more extracurriculars. Sadly, when we are always looking forward, we can miss out on the moment that we are in right now. Maybe you even feel that way yourself as you grow up into more adult responsibilities. Even an Instagram post a year ago shows you an older, more mature looking person. Didn’t I just start High School? Am I ready to start my career or college? How is this happening?
In our first reading, John the Apostle urges us to not only love with words. Words are important, of course, but, as the saying goes, actions speak louder. As we rapidly approach Christmas, I would invite you to reflect on a couple questions:
What actions do you perform that show love?
What distractions can you eliminate to allow you to be “In the moment” this Christmas?
In our second reading, Jesus’ life was described very well. Jesus is God, so He could have done anything that he wanted to. Yet, he chose to love each of us. Being all-knowing, Jesus knew what road He was going down. He knew that everything was leading up to a horrible, bitter death on a cross. Yet, He did it. He humbled Himself and showed His love with His ultimate sacrifice and victory over sin and death through His resurrection. Thanks be to God that Jesus made that decision to humble Himself and take our sins to the cross!
As we prepare our hearts for Christmas this year, let’s challenge ourselves to show some love with our actions. Let’s go out of our way to make someone feel included, loved, and cared about. All so we can share the love of Jesus.
And, most of all, let’s remember the true meaning of Christmas. All the decorations, traditions, and meals are a lot of fun, but should be a reminder of the Savior that counted us broken sinners as more significant than His perfect Self.
I wish all of you readers a very Merry Christmas, and a blessed New Year.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for another day in Your creation. Thank you also for the opportunities that you give me to show Your love to the people around me. Please allow me to enjoy the moments during this season, and to love those people with the way I live my life. Thank you also for sending Your Son to show us the ultimate example of love. In His holy and blessed name. Amen.
Journal Questions
- What is one action that you can do over the next few days to shout love to someone around you?
- What is one thing that distracts you from the true meaning of Christmas?
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