Advent

Hope, Joy, Peace, Love, and Christ are the words of Advent.  The truth is, without Christ, none of the other words are even possible.  Have you ever thought of that?  Do you realize that without Christ you would have nothing to find confident guaranteed hope?  Do you remember that without Christ you would have no joy because there would be nothing to be genuinely happy about?  Do you think about the fact that peace comes only through relationship with the one true king?  Do you remember that Scripture tells us that the only reason we love at all is because He first loved us?

With those realities in mind we can and should be all the more thankful for the gift of Jesus’ birth.  Because, let’s face it, without it – we wouldn’t have anyone to hope in, anything to rejoice in, anyone to grant us peace, and we would have no experience of love at all.

So pause this season and celebrate the gift of grace that is Christ the Lord!