Advent: A 25-Day Countdown to ChristmasSample

What Is Love?

What do you think of when you read the word “love”? Is your mind overflowing with people and your heart filled with gratitude for the life around you? Or perhaps it’s a bit more difficult to wrap your head around such a complex idea.

How would you describe love to someone else? How would they know you were being loving through your words and actions? Keep these questions in mind as you approach our readings over the next few days.

One of the many incredible things about God’s love is that it’s more than a feeling. We can see God’s love in action throughout the Bible, but we see it most clearly in the New Testament in the way Jesus lived.

As we enter our final week of Advent, we’ll take a closer look at love, which is following Jesus’ example by treating everyone as valuable and worthy of sacrificial care.

We can start by looking at one of the most clear examples of Jesus’ love. In the Gospel of John, we read one of the most popular and well-known verses in the Bible:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 NIV (emphasis added)

From the beginning of time, God has loved the world. And in this world He loves, there are billions of people, yet He knows each of one uniquely and individually. Despite any decisions or choices each person has made, God has chosen to love us unconditionally.

As believers, we celebrate this love throughout the year and choose to focus on it specifically during the Advent season.

But how do we respond if love feels difficult this year? When we’re experiencing grief, disappointment, or the feeling of being forgotten, we can choose to lean into what we know is true of God—that He is love.

And God tangibly showed His ultimate act of love by becoming a human. He didn’t shout His love from heaven, but came to earth to demonstrate His love for us through Jesus.

No matter how you’re feeling this season, there are opportunities to see God’s love at work in your life in every moment of your day. You might start small, thanking God for a new morning when you wake up. Or you might reflect on the ways He provided for you throughout the day before you go to sleep.

Pause and Pray:

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving and caring for me. No matter what my life looks like right now, I trust that You have a good plan that You’re working together for my good. Help me to see the endless ways You show Your love. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Reflect or Discuss:

What do you think of when you hear the word “love”? How can you see God’s love for you in your life today? To learn more about God’s love, check out this article.