Advent: Rediscovering Christmas in the Chaosናሙና

Unconditional Love

During the fourth week of Advent, we focus on LOVE.

Romans 8 tells us we should be confident that nothing can separate us from God’s love…

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the LOVE of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
– Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)

With talk of such immense circumstances as life and death, angels and demons, and past and present, we immediately think that this verse is only about major events in our lives—an irreversible mistake in judgment, incapacitating illness, extreme hardships.

And it is true… none of these can keep us from the unconditional love of God.

However, I think it can be the small things that creep in, even the seemingly good things, that pull us away from His love during the Christmas season.

One of the reasons that I have become so attached to Advent—and taking time to reflect on God’s hope, peace, joy and love during this season—is because I have repeatedly found that some of the traditional activities we most closely associate with Christmas (family gatherings, decorating, gift-giving, even serving) become the very things that distract us from Jesus.

We can become so enamored with the atmosphere of Christmas—the sights, smells, and tastes—that when those things are lacking (which inevitably, in some circumstance or another during the busy holidays, they are), we do not feel the love that is meant to be so prevalent at this time of year.

Our time and energy can also become so focused on preparing our home for guests, the details of our child’s school party or the office secret Santa exchange, that we become stressed and frayed. And, dare I say, we may sometimes think that our over-the-top performance in these activities will earn us the love of family, friends, or co-workers. While our actions may gain us favor with some, they are not the reason God loves us.

As I read Romans 8, and am reminded of God’s unrelenting, immeasurable love for us through all of the difficulties we may face in life, I can also confidently say that…

Neither long lines nor empty shelves…
Neither poorly shaped Christmas trees nor burnt out twinkle lights…
Neither gifts that don’t arrive on time nor crafts that aren’t completed…
Neither unfinished gingerbread houses nor unopened Advent calendars…

… can separate us from God’s love.

You may laugh, but sometimes it is these little frustrations that draw us away from Him, and from loving others well, as we prepare to celebrate Christmas.

This Christmas, let your traditions and celebrations allow you to fully love others and also draw you close to the God who loves you. And if one (or many!) of the little things do not go as planned, know that He is still right there. May you remain confident during this busy Advent season that there is nothing (big or small) that can separate you from God’s LOVE.

This 4-day plan is adapted from Embracing Advent: Rediscovering Christmas in the Chaos by Jen Ludwig. If you'd like to continue to embrace God's gifts of hope, peace, joy, and love with devotionals throughout the Advent season, connect with Jen at www.jenludwig.com or @embracingadvent.