Get Ready for Christmas (Day 1)
Jesus said, “I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20)
Here we are again at the beginning of the Advent/Christmas season! Where are you in the process of getting prepared for Christmas? There is a lot that goes into this season, isn’t there? There are decorations to go up, presents to buy up, Christmas goodies to gobble up, and anxieties often rise up. It is amazing how much preparation it can take to get ready for the Christmas season. Amidst all your holiday decorating and preparing, I want to encourage you to make sure you are prepared for the real meaning of Christmas!
The church has celebrated the season of Advent since the 6th century. Advent means “arrival” or
“coming,” and it was not inaugurated to celebrate the coming of Santa Claus. Advent began as a season for believers to remember the coming of a most “Wonderful Life.” The season encourages believers to remember the arrival of Jesus Christ to earth 2000 years ago, but also to ensure they were continually prepared for his fresh “arrivals” and “comings” into their hearts by the Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ came into the world as a man, and He comes into our hearts through Holy Spirit. One day Jesus will come again from heaven for His people.
In Revelation 3, we see that Jesus is found knocking at the door of the church of Laodicea, on the outside wanting them to let Him in. They were going through the motions of church life, but had lost their dependence upon Jesus. They had become self-sufficient, and Jesus was on the outside looking in. If they would repent however, Jesus promised He could come in again and eat with them.
Advent is a season where we are encouraged to examine our hearts to make sure we haven’t shut the door to Jesus. Wouldn’t it be a loss if we spend countless hours “getting ready” for the season of Christmas, but we miss the actual presence of Jesus Himself? The true heart of Advent is to prepare our hearts to fully connect with Jesus. Don’t let all the Christmas trappings lead you into the trap of spiritual emptiness. What if you decided right now not to miss Him? What if you started ensuring your heart was open wide to Jesus and to the Holy Spirit during these holidays (holy days). Jesus has come and He’s here; and He wants to come do a fresh work in your heart and life.
Are you ready?
Questions for Reflection:
- Do you enjoy getting ready for the Christmas season? Do you find it easy to let all of the preparation and trappings of the season distract you from Jesus?
- Do you desire to do Christmas a little differently this time?
- What is a step you can take to make sure you heart is ready to celebrate and draw near to the “Wonderful Life” of Jesus?