2021 Advent Devotionals
Who has believed what he has heard from us?
And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
~Isaiah, 8th Century BC
Submitted by Tom Petter
The prophet, carried by the Spirit, does not envision the typical birth of the great kings of the world. Instead the picture painted here is one of humble beginnings represented by a shrug in the desolate landscape of an arid region. We know Jesus from the Gospel of Luke was born in a “manger/trough;” hardly a place of privilege! To complete the vision, Isaiah adds that the newborn king would not be one we would look up to or desire; in fact, Isaiah includes himself in missing the Messiah! “We esteemed him not.”
This inauspicious start is not the end of the story, however. Just as the disciples simply couldn’t really recognize who was with them until after the resurrection, we too are on this journey to understanding who Jesus really is. The birth of Jesus narrative in Isaiah 53 prepares for a descent into self-emptying and the ultimate sacrifice on the cross on our behalf: “all we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, everyone, to his own way. But the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). This lostness we all share is precisely why we can’t recognize the Messiah unless our eyes are opened by the grace of God.
This Christmas season, may the Holy Spirit open our eyes to see Jesus for who He really is. He is not “packaged;” He is not to be manipulated into our own idea of who He is. Instead, the Suffering Servant, born in the wilderness, emptied Himself unto death, is now exalted at the right hand of the Father, and He will come again to establish His Kingdom forever.
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21 ESV)
Submitted by Hadley Jackson
This passage came to mind when I was asked to write my Christmas list this year! I found myself getting caught up in all the material items our world has to offer. Especially during this time of giving and receiving gifts, it’s easy to get distracted from the true reason we as Christians celebrate Christmas. Happiness changes with our circumstances, but true joy comes from Christ. I encourage you to take time this season to reflect on what you treasure in life, for there your heart will be also.
Jesus Christ calls us to set our eyes on things above. This Christmas season is an amazing time to be intentional and devote time to the Lord who longs to connect with you! I heard this statistic a while ago that about half of the American population celebrates Christmas as a religious holiday, while a little less than half celebrates it culturally. Our values can be confused when society does not acknowledge the birth of Jesus Christ as the perfect gift we could ever receive.
Reflection Questions
1) In what ways can you refocus your attention on Christ this season?
2) How will your gratitude shape the way you view gifts and giving?
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:2 ESV)
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:8-10 ESV)
Submitted by Sue Jenkins
Most people have at least one particularly memorable Christmas they look back on. Mine happens to also be my earliest Christmas memory which was the year I first started to read. The oldest of three at the time, I remember waking up on Christmas morning with an added excitement. Not only was it Christmas but, since I could now read the names on all the gift cards, we didn’t need to wait for Mom and Dad! I could tell my sisters which gifts had their names on them! I felt very grown up as I searched for Amy, Wendy and Sue on each wrapped package under the tree. We each tore into the gifts that bore our names – but were a little perplexed by the contents! Mom and Dad, hearing the commotion, came out to find me pulling my baby sister’s pull toy, Amy was trying to put on Dad’s new underwear, and little Wendy was still trying to get the paper off the package I had assigned as hers.
It must have been a pretty amusing sight. Mom and Dad quickly reclaimed each gift and explained to me that not only did I need to read the names on the tags but also the To: and From:!
I remember this story often when I read in Scripture that God has given us the free gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
And
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Eph 2:8-10)
These passages refer to a gift, given by God. And while the gift is given freely it does require something. While we may not be challenged with reading the tags on this gift we do need to understand something inherent in gifts: they often come with instructions.
God’s gift to us is easily accepted but in order to put it into use as the giver intended we need to read the instruction book, the Word of God. How else are we to fully benefit from all that gift offers?
As we look forward to this Christmas I pray we might all reflect on why this gift of the Christ Child was given to us and how we can pay this precious gift forward to those around us. Read God’s Word. Understand better what we have received. Share with others the gift of God.
"Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ" (Phillipians 3:8)
Submitted by Colin McHugh
I remember waking up last Christmas morning and the first thing that popped into my mind was “Christmas presents!” I ran down the stairs and to the tree filled with presents and lights and a wonderful day full of hot chocolate and new stuff that cramped all the hours of the day into a blur that passed by in less than what seemed like a second. I did not give thanks to God. I did not pause to reflect on his wonderfulness, and it was not until laying my head down to sleep that night that I realized that it was my Lord's birthday, a day infinitely more important than any earthly gift. C.S. Lewis wrote, “Aim at Heaven and you will get Earth 'thrown in': aim at Earth and you will get neither.” I think in this Christmas season we too often have the mindset of aiming for earth first and putting God second when we should instead celebrate Christ first and all the other things second, counting them as good but rubbish in the face of God’s wonderful love.
Paul wrote this verse in a letter to the Philippians while he was in jail for spreading the word of God. He had been persecuted to a scale and enormity much larger than anything I have ever had to endure and go through because of my faith and yet Paul, sitting on the floor of this dark and damp prison did not give up on Christ. He did not turn to the earthly comfort and coziness that he so easily could have. Instead, he had the audacity to say that all his righteousness, status, wealth, and power were rubbish in the face of knowing Christ and being his child.
Paul’s example is one that we must be pursuing during this season of lights when there is so much temptation to choose our earthly comfort over our Christ Jesus.
Reflection Questions
1) How have you put holiday traditions first before God in this season?
2) How can you get more into the habit of thanking God and thinking of him as we celebrate his birth this year?
3) What does it look like to count everything as loss for the sake of knowing Christ in your life?
"What gain has the worker from his toil? I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man.
I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away." (Ecclesiastes 3:9-15)
Submitted by Alexander Kouris
Growing up as a Christian I never had any doubt that God loves me and understands any turmoil that I go through. Despite this, I always felt as though there was a disconnect between myself and the countless people that I read about in the Bible, whether it be the disciples, or someone that God used to serve his ministry. While we bear similarities in that we’re sinners who have faith in the Lord, I always had the thought but they’re of a significantly different time. The methods of transportation that Mary and Joseph took on the arduous journey to Bethlehem could not have been ideal for a pregnant woman. It’s just one tiny thing in the vast collection of events in the Bible that younger me just didn’t see happening to any expecting mothers and fathers in Massachusetts in the 21st century. How could going to school or work every day be remotely similar to the daily routine of people 2000 years ago? When my brothers and sisters in Christ looked up during the waning hours of the day so long ago, I was sure that the same night sky that I’ve seen my whole life probably didn’t pique the same angsty existential questions.
When reading this passage in Ecclesiastes, it never fails to immediately call to me in the way that we all experience with our own deep perusal of the Scripture. Verse 11 gives a direct response to anyone who has ever lived and felt as though the Bubonic Plague or the global Covid pandemic somehow puts them in a special bracket of humanity. Not only do we all have eternity in our hearts but it was specifically placed there by God. In all our modern wisdom and technology we still continually yearn for something that we perceive as greater whether it be material or understanding. No matter what we do, nothing can fill the place in our hearts that is reserved for the Lord and a complete trust in his plan for us. Generations of people change continually but the eternal path God has in place for each one of us is steadfast and unwavering through eternity.
In this life we are to do good as His disciples, and through our toils experience God working in others and through ourselves. Security and peace are not to be found in the earthly realm which Solomon, who had both great wisdom and wealth, writes about in Ecclesiastes 1:2-4. Through any pleasure or growth that can be tapped into, nothing will distinguish us so significantly as humans as the permanence and eternal peace that is only achieved through knowing the Lord. Everything He’s done has been done with a purpose. Nothing will have more significance than serving and coming closer to our creator.
1) In what ways has your relationship with the Lord impacted your big picture goals in life? Not in terms of your day-to-day behavioral habits as a Christian but how God’s place in your life has affected what you want from your life?
2) How has a potential “desire for more” challenged you as a Christian and in what ways have you seen God use this to bring you closer to him or test/strengthen you?
"He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8 ESV)
Submitted by John & Mirza Ryan
Christmas is interesting. People often see it as both a time of great celebration and a time of great stress. We in the Ryan household know that once the Christmas season rolls in, we have to dish out the Christmas shopping list. What are we going to give our loved ones? What can we tell those who are asking for what we want? What do others want? What do we want?
This Christmas season, we’ve gotten particularly stressed about giving our loved ones the best gifts and asking for the best gifts while not becoming selfish. But God has reminded us that true gift-giving is not quite what the world makes it out to be.
In seeking the Lord for what He wants from us this season, He reminded us of these words of the prophet Micah. As the Lord was rebuking Israel (through Micah) for their wrongdoings, He made it clear that He wasn’t looking for material sacrifices to make up for turning their hearts away from Him; He was looking for devoted hearts to love Him and love others. And God the Father would later send His Son, Jesus, into the world to drive that point home, showing us His relentless love by providing His Son as the perfect sacrifice for our sins. For all our mess and all our stress.
We often think of “the best gift” to our loved ones -- and even to God -- as something material, or as specific actions that could make someone happy and frankly make us look good. But in this season of gift-giving, God is inviting us to give Him our hearts through Jesus Christ, and as an overflow, to give other sour hearts according to His will: by doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with our God.
As you celebrate and think about the advent of Jesus (God’s greatest gift to us), we invite you to ask yourself the following:
1) How do you think God is moving you to respond to Jesus in this Advent season?
2) God, through Jesus, has also provided every Jesus follower with His Holy Spirit, to encourage us and help us walk with Him. How can you ask the Holy Spirit to help you respond to Jesus in this Advent season?
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.” (Micah 5:2 ESV)
"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14)
"He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!" (Revelation 22:20)
Submitted by Allan Baldwin
As a young child, Christmas was snow forts, decorating trees, the smell of cinnamon buns baking in the oven, Christmas carols in church, and presents - especially presents - their opening, for which we waited, and waited. This waiting at Christmas was not just enduring, it was anticipating! Anticipating surprises that fit under the tree in the form of wrapped presents, but also the larger boxes spread around the living room!
The waiting finally came to an end, on Christmas Day, when my 3 siblings and two parents lined up at the top of the stairs, and descended into the living room, singing the rather benign song, “This is the way we March, March, March.” By the time we marched through two stanzas, we were finally there in the presence of presents! Hope was swallowed up by unbridled Joy.
Christmas is about an even more profound waiting -
It is about waiting for The King of Kings to return to earth!
Prior to our time - 2021 - King Jesus came to earth the First time.
He had been expected for hundreds of years, promised by Israel’s prophets, who gave the exact location of his birth, (Micah 5:2), as well as the sign that he would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14). Then, King Jesus came to earth! King Jesus finally arrived as a child born where and when predicted.
That was 2000 plus years ago. About 1745 years later, a man who wrote over 6500 hymns named Charles Wesley, wrote the popular hymn “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus.”
Wesley wrote these words:
“Come, Thou long-expected Jesus!
Born to set Thy people free,
From our fears and sins release us
Let us find our rest in Thee. . . .
“Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child, and yet a King.
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.”
Wesley was writing about our Lord’s Second Coming. A fact that we can - and should! - expect with great expectation!
Why? Because the Lord Jesus will bring God’s justice to our bent, battered world, a justice that will be total, permanent and glorious! What a present that will be! Count on it! “Come, Lord Jesus!" (Rev. 22:20)
A Shepherd and His Sheep
"At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand." (John 10:22-29 ESV)
Submitted by Jen Calverley
Other than Easter, the Christmas Eve pageant is my favorite service of the year and having raised all three of my children at TCC, I have precious memories of them playing angels, wise men, shepherds, and sheep. It’s always the sheep that melt my heart – 3 and 4 year old boys and girls sweating as they are dressed in wool costumes with sheep ears that few children keep on. Our youthful shepherds, perhaps 7 or 8 years old, attempt to lead the sheep on stage and keep them quiet while the narrators move the story along. Our precious little sheep stray from the fold, as one or two of the shepherds attempt to grab their attention and lead them back. Parents of the stray sheep often squirm in their seats, wishing their child wasn’t one of the strays while the rest of the audience giggles over their inability to remain attentive. But imagine what it would be like to have Jesus as their (and our) shepherd?
Throughout his ministry, Jesus draws crowds and captivates them with his teachings and signs, all pointing to his divinity. Despite seeing these miracles and hearing his wise teachings, many still did not believe, including the Jewish authorities (10:25). They are blind and deaf to the reality of the Messiah before them. They do not recognize Jesus as the Messiah because the Father has not given them to Jesus (10:29). Those who believe have been chosen to follow Jesus and are gifted with the ability to hear his voice (10:27), but we are not simply passive players in God’s redemption story – we must actively listen to hear God’s voice and then obediently follow. While this might seem like a daunting task, the benefits of following Jesus far outweigh the effort we put in. By listening and following our Lord, we will be known by our shepherd (10:27) who loves us enough to sacrifice his own life so we may not perish and never be separated from him (10:28).
The distractions of the season are plentiful, and we are busied by many tasks that often take priority over sitting and listening to our Lord. But if Jesus was the shepherd at our Christmas pageant, even our little sheep would be completely focused, in awe of his presence and the love he has for each one of us because he chose us as his own. This Advent season, may we take time to be quiet and attentive to our shepherd’s voice and obediently follow in his ways.
Reflection Questions
1) Discerning the voice of God takes practice. What are some practices you can put in place during this season of Advent to quiet your hearts and minds so you can hear the Lord’s voice?
2) When we hear the Lord’s voice, he is individually leading us in the direction of spiritual growth, but he is also giving us directives in how we can aid in growing his Kingdom and spreading the Gospel. In your prayer time, ask God how you can be of service to Him. What would he like you to do?
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14 ESV)
Submitted by Paul Church
“The Word” is Jesus, and we are celebrating this glorious event every Advent season. I have probably read this verse hundreds of times, but when I reflect more upon it now, I am literally awestruck that God became a man, so that he could enter into our lives as not just a spectator, but as an actual being who lived and breathed here on earth before returning to heaven. When I soak in the impact of that fact, I realize what a contrast it is to the false belief that men might become gods. The Roman emperors were notorious for that, and so were the Egyptian pharaohs. There are cults today that still believe that men and women will become godlike when they die.
The one true God took on flesh and came into this world as a baby, not a king. Jesus, the god-man, experienced life, the joys and pain, including submitting himself to a painful death on a Roman cross. God has experienced the human condition through Jesus, and this is profound. We should think about this every day, but especially during Advent. The creator of the universe actually entered into our little world with all of its petty concerns and disputes. The world rejected Jesus, and still often does, but He continues as our advocate before the Father on behalf of all believers.
Have you thought about how amazing it is that God came to earth as the Son...and the ultimate conclusion of that plan was to offer us a bridge to eternal life through the sacrifice on the cross at Calvary? Wow! I hope this verse stays fresh in my mind and spirit every day, especially during Advent!
"Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen." (Galatians 1:3-5 ESV)
"But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!' " (Galatians 4:4-6 ESV)
Submitted by Steven Weiss
Imagine yourself on Christmas morning. The traditions you’ve grown up with or now have cultivated with your family are warming your heart. You get to ‘present time’ and the kids are jubilant and rambunctious, hopefully coffee has already been consumed in high volume by the adults to keep up. Then, you open a package with baby Jesus inside? Yes! Other than quite the odd mental picture, this is exactly how Paul describes Jesus, he is a gift. He is God’s gift ‘sent’ to us (v.4:4). In conformity to His Will, likewise, Jesus gave himself (v.1:3). He gave himself for what purpose? For our sins to deliver us from the present evil age! Then, as if things couldn’t get any better, we get another gift! God ‘sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts (v.4:6)’ helping us to relate to God. Christmas is a bounty of God’s benevolence. Like with God’s gifts, the best ones we give are often not in a box. They are gifts brought to life by the power of the Holy Spirit within us, forgiveness, mercy, compassion, generosity, etc.
In one of Paul’s most fiery letters, he takes time to articulate the gospel he is defending from being perverted into that which is not the gospel (v.1:7). The gospel which brings us into relationship with God himself, the very core of Christianity (v.1:6). I want to highlight three beautiful things about the gospel Paul preached, the one we believe. 1) Christmas was God’s plan, execution (by sending), and will. 2) The result of the baby in the manger led to our deliverance ‘from the present evil age (v.1:3)’ and redeemed us from being ‘under the law (v.4:5).’ Finally, 3) The Holy Spirit empowers us to be ‘Christmas Christians’ by helping us to pray as the Son taught his followers to pray, “‘Abba! Father!’ (v.4:6)” This Christmas, as we honor and remember the birth of Jesus, God’s Son, we want to see the plan of God for salvation in which the whole Trinity participates. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit all act to give us salvation and deliver us from the present evil age. Therefore, as Christians, we must also give our gifts to others freely just as God gave freely to us. To the one who doesn’t deserve forgiveness, we gift it. To those who need food and water and shelter, we gift it. If your neighbors don’t yet know the gospel, go now and share the best gift ever given. This is not based on what they have earned, deserve, or can give us in return but based upon our desire to give like our trinitarian God who gave us salvation.
Reflections Questions:
1) When we look at Jesus, we are seeing God’s gift to the world because He ‘sent forth his Son (v.4:4).’ Paul continues to articulate that Jesus gave us a gift as well. He gave us ‘himself for our sins' (v.1:4); past, present, and future. When we reflect on Jesus this Christmas, do we see God’s gift? Do we see the Son’s gift? Do we remember the removal of our sins because of the gift?
2) Paul says that Jesus delivered us from ‘the present evil age.’ What are your thoughts on the present age? Do they align with Paul’s? Do you need to correct them to maintain the significance of Christ’s deliverance? Reflect on the age you now belong, i.e., namely the messianic age, which belongs to Jesus.
3) How have you responded to God for giving you such a great gift? What do you need to gift this Christmas?
"Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires."
(Romans 13:11-14 ESV)
Submitted by Kristin Neprud
We’ve never been more divided. How many times have you heard this phrase over the past year? As a people, we are experts at pointing out the problems around us. We are less expert at evaluating ourselves. It’s ironic considering how self-obsessed we are. We live in a world of selfies and carefully curated social media profiles, all of it screaming, “Look at me. Like me. Follow me.” Social media and the expanding metaverse have served to exacerbate our distractedness and sense of disconnectedness from actual, real community. It has created an insidious and dark venue that cloaks identities and emboldens even the meekest among us to engage in divisive and destructive dialogue and behavior. Cyber bullying, cancel culture, whatever you want to call it, it’s the same spirit of darkness that has ruled the world since ancient times. We just have more of it at greater speed. It has led to often devastating fallout.
We know the early church experienced painful divisions because Paul wrote about them, often. In this Romans 13 passage, we hear Paul sounding the alarm for believers to “wake up” and live into their calling as people of the light. We may be living in a dark world, but we have been called out of the darkness. Jesus tells us in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” Abundant life. THAT is what we are called to. Jesus embodied what it means. It is a life filled with LIGHT:
Love: Preferring and serving others above ourselves.
Inspiration of the Holy Spirit: Encouraging and admonishing others to build up the body of Christ.
God’s Promises: Living in the eternal hope of God’s word.
Holiness: The miraculous re-formation of our sinful nature made possible through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
Thanksgiving: Gratitude for the re-born life we have in Christ.
Romans 13:11-14 is an exhortation to live in the reality of our baptism in Christ and the anticipation of his imminent return. The season of advent is all about the urgent expectation of the coming light that dispels all darkness. Like Paul, let us encourage each other today to live abundant lives filled with the healing, restorative light of Christ.
Reflection Questions:
Is there an area of your life that is still hidden in darkness? How might you expose it to the light of Christ?
How can you bring the light of Christ to the world around you today?
What is your hope for this advent season?
"This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin." (1 John 1:5-7)
Submitted by Adam Kurihara
I loathe the coming winter months. As the days get shorter and weather turns cold, I find myself craving fresh air, the outdoors, and sunlight. This California boy grows weary of it all by mid-February, and yet there are still 3-5 more months of it before the sun comes out and temperatures rise. A few more months before I can wear my rainbow sandals.
Students at the seminary seem to agree with me. As an apartment residence life coordinator on the campus of Gordon-Conwell, we were taught to keep an eye out for signs of depression in our community as we lose precious sunlight that helps improve our moods. I’m sure we all feel that fogginess that happens in the dark of winter. We crave the sun and when we don’t see it for a few days, our bodies notice and our spirit dims. We are creatures designed for light. We are not at home in darkness. Though we can manage and mitigate the causes of darkness (indoor rock-climbing is my ballast against the winter blues), the darkness presses in.
1 John 1:5-7 tells us that this is not just a physical and psychological reality, but a spiritual one as well. Our souls are designed to be in the light, not to ‘walk in darkness.’ When we lean into the light of a Christian community (for we all, whether we realize it or not, carry the light of Christ within us), this is where we find life and light. It might be uncomfortable at first; darkness does not like to be exposed to the light. But it is how we are to walk. In these few short phrases, John boldly calls us out to not live in hiding, but to confess our sins to one another. This is the practice of those who walk in the light.
Have you confessed a sin to a Christian brother or sister lately? If not, read a few verses on – if we say we are not sinners, we deceive ourselves. It’s hard to see in the dark. But simply stepping into light of Christian community might be what God is calling us to do this Advent. I know it is hard in a high achieving culture to admit that we’ve failed, missed the mark, let ourselves, others, or God down, but it is exactly that place where God meets us, lifts us up, and says to us “Young man, I tell you, arise (Luke 7:14)”, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!” (Mark 5:41). Begin with your LIFE group or closest spiritual friend, or reach out to a deacon or a pastor.
But that is not the only application of 1 John 1:5-7. There’s a bigger story to be told. While some might say a solution for winter depression are indoor sun lamps, plenty of exercise, and community (these are all great ideas and if you struggle with seasonal depression please use them and don’t hesitate to reach out to someone), these are simply temporary measures we take as we wait for the day when the curse is lifted. As creatures destined to dwell with God, remember that someday we won’t need even the sun:
“And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.” (Rev. 22:5)
So as we wait for the day and live in the night, know that the day is coming when not only darkness will be no more, but neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, for the former things have passed away. Hang on to that this Advent season, especially if you struggle with anxiety or depression, seasonal or chronic. We watch with an active and anchored hope as we wait for the light.
