It’s our last week of Advent and this weeks candle represents love. We’re just about ready to wrap this up and I find it pretty cool how you can see all four weeks build off of each other.
Of course if you want to participate in Advent, you still can. Below you will find links to the previous three weeks:
Love:
Our fourth candle on the advent wreath represents love, go ahead and light the four candles.
What is love, really?
Love has many definitions in today, world. At least in modern day English anyway.
It could mean, to have intense feelings of affection, to have a great pleasure in something, or something you enjoy doing very much. But the definition of love we are talking about today is called Agape love. 1
Agape is a Greek word that, in the Bible, refers to the love God has for us. It’s the highest form of love that is unconditional and sacrificial. It’s not just infatuation, it doesn’t waver, or have any faults. This is the true love God has for us. It’s love by choice, not by feelings.
God is love, and because He is love, everything He does is loving.
God created us (humans) to have a relationship with Him. He wanted to love us, and He wanted us to love Him. Because He’s God, and knows best, He knew that He had to give us the freedom of choice to have this kind of relationship with us. This is where Jesus comes in.
When Jesus came to this earth, He came fully as a man. He had the same feelings we feel, the same pain we have, and the same temptations we face. He came to experience all of those things AND give up His life to be the ultimate sacrifice. Christ did all of this so that through Him, we can have relationship with the Father, just as He intended it.
Read: John 3:16-17, Rom. 5:8, and Eph. 2:4-5
What else does the Bible say about God’s love for us? Do some of your own research, and write the verses down. Refer to these verses if you ever catch yourself doubting God’s love for you.
The Overflow of Love
Because of this great love, we are called to show that same love to others, as well. Yes this is easier said than done. Sometimes it can be difficult to love others, they may not always deserve it or accept it. But do we even deserve the love God has given us? No one does.
The more we show God’s love, the more people will come to know Him. The closer we are to the Father, the easier loving others in this way will become. As we allow Him to change us, and shape us into His image, the things of the Holy Spirit, (such as hope, peace, joy, and love), become who we are.
Read: Phil. 2:3-4, Matt. 5: 43-48, and 1 John 4:7-11
Bringing Love into Our Homes
Choose to make your home a place filled with love. We can do this in a few ways; by showing people some love and by loving the homes we have.
Show Someone in Your Life Some Love
You can show your family and friends a little love by doing small things for them to brighten up their day. It doesn’t have to be expensive or grand, just something to show them that you’re thinking of them and that you care about them.
You can….
- Make their favorite meal.
- Leave a little note for them to find.
- Set up a at home spa day.
- Bake their favorite cookies.
- Have a little tea party.
- Make them a sunshine box full of goodies.
Small gestures like these can turn someones whole day around, and remind them that they are loved. This can plant seeds that will grow and spread to other people as well.
Planting a few of these seeds in those who are a little harder to show love to, can soften their hearts, and help them understand the love Christ has for us.
Show Your Home Some Love
We all have little things about our homes we may not like: a paint color, decorations, furniture, or cluttered cabinets. As you think on love this week, and the meaning of it, think about finding small areas in your home that you may not like and show it some love.
Instead of just disliking and dealing with the spaces we may not like, we can use a little creativity and turn them into something we can enjoy:
- Straighten up a cluttered area
- Paint or wallpaper a room
- Repurpose some decorations, or go thrifting for a few new ones.
- Rearrange some furniture.
- Do a Mini Refresh
Throughout this whole Advent season, God has been speaking one word to me: Contentment.
We talked about it last week with the shepherds, and I think it can apply to this week as well. Let’s learn to be content with what we have, by loving the homes we have, even with all of the quirks.
Do you see a theme with each week of Advent? True hope, peace, joy, and love is fulfilled in Christ. They are all gifts from Him, and all we have to do is except Him as our savior and allow Him to do work in us.
Go through and consider these things as you celebrate Christmas in few days, and hold on to them in the new year.
