Advent Devotional: Make Room for JesusSample

Day 20: Make Room for Love

The apostle Paul was someone in scripture who experienced the great love of Christ in His life. He had spent many years adamantly against the things of God. We read how He watched and approved of Stephen’s brutal stoning. We see where he drug people from their homes and put them in prison in an attempt to destroy the church. He stood for everything that opposed God. So if God were to make an exception of someone He wouldn’t love, Paul would have been an easy person to name. Yet, God still showed his great love for Paul and pursued Him and redeemed His life. Not only did God do that for Him, but He used Paul to then advance His kingdom and demonstrate that same unconditional love to others. After Paul experienced God’s unconditional love, he wrote this passage…

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 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 8:35-39

Paul says he was convinced that nothing could separate Him from the love of Christ! He had endured darkness. He had opposed God. He had sunk to great depths of sin. But then He experienced God’s love and that changed everything.

Like Paul, you too could create a list of moments, character flaws, or situations that should keep you from God’s love. One reason God’s love is so powerful is that His love can conquer any barrier that we believe could keep us from Him. The example of Paul experiencing God’s love should bring great encouragement to all of us who believe the lie that we are beyond the love of God. Paul was convinced of this truth because his life was completely transformed. Sometimes it’s hard to make room in our lives for God’s love because we have allowed the belief that there are barriers that can keep us from Him. Live in the truth today that NOTHING can separate you from God’s love.

Reflect:

• Why do you think God chooses to display His love to people who don't deserve it?
• What are some lies in your life that you have believed can separate you from the love of Christ?
• How does pure, godly love change someone?

Pray:

Lay out the deep parts of your heart to God where you have been harboring sin or bitterness. He can handle it! Ask Him to redeem all the broken parts of your story and thank Him that NOTHING can separate you from His love.