Tuesday, December 26th Julie Williamson
Love
“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.”
1 John 4:9
Love is especially important in Advent because it reminds us of God’s great love for us that motivated him to send his Son to be born in a manger in Bethlehem, to live among us, to teach us, to heal us, and to die for us. The Bible tells us that God’s love is not like human love, which can be selfish, conditional, or fickle. God’s love is agape, which means it is selfless, unconditional, and faithful. When one of our grandchildren is sad or hurt, I’ll crouch down to their level and pull them close, look them in the eyes and comfort them and tell them I love them. Lyrics from one of the first songs I learned as a child, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so”, was, and still is, comforting to me. In Jesus, God came down to our level and wrapped his arms around us and pulled us close to show his love for us.
During this season, let us reflect on the love that God has for us. Love is a powerful force that can transform lives. Let us also remember to show love to others by being kind, compassionate, and forgiving. We can also share the love of Christ with those around us in our church and community who are alone or unable to get around. By helping others, we transform ourselves and show and feel the kind of love God revealed to us. Delivering to the shut-ins, visiting our seniors in assisted living and nursing homes, helping children in need and making contact with loved ones we’ve lost touch with. We all long to be loved, to have someone hear us, encourage us, and walk with us through our good and bad times.
Father, we pray you lead us to help and love others as you’ve loved us. May we ever walk in your love and show the world I am your disciple by the love I show to others, keeping Jesus, your Son, close in my heart. Amen.
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