Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Advent Thoughts--Converting a Scrooge, one Day at a Time

I'm working my way through an Advent devotional, designed to stop and make me think about all the aspects of Advent that I normally miss.  I've spent so long being a scrooge against the commercialization of Christmas, that I missed celebrating the fullness of the true meaning of Christmas.  While the devotional (www.youversion.com) is sometimes simple, it really has been an exercise in making me think about the true reason for the season, and the fact that yes, sometimes the Christmas season does start  before the end of November...sigh.  The first Sunday of Advent was the 27th of November this year.  But Advent is celebrated in its entirety for a reason, so I'm trying to focus on that instead of the secular foolishness that makes me scroogy.
Below is an excerpt from one of my journalings for the devotional.


I think the thing to remember is our creation doesn't stop at our birth, or at the end of all of our growth spurts (when we look like adults).  God forms us, in our mother's womb, before she even knew us (Psalm 139).  He gives us a body, gives us a life, and then ushers us through it, giving us blessings and hardships along the way.  Through our life experiences, he continues to create who we are in Him; that is, if we surrender to him and let him work in us.  God's salvation didn't come at the birth of Jesus.  His perfect plan was only made complete upon the sacrifice of his Son.  The Advent season is about celebrating the coming of the Savior, but not the saving of the people.  The Advent season is about the beginning of our salvation, but not the completion.  Just like we must continually be tweaked and shaped and touched up to really become the men and women of God, so did Jesus, until he had completed the work God laid out for him.  It wasn't until he was resurrected from the dead that our salvation was created, and it isn't until the day we see that Savior, really, that we are fully created to be who God intended.

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