I’ve been thinking about Advent. It seems I’ve seen more Advent calendars on sale this year than in all the previous years combined, and I want to give in to some of them. Too bad the ones I really want – the makeup ones! – are super expensive. It’s probably for the best because Advent is not about the tiny gifts inside the tiny boxes.
Advent comes from a Latin word that means “coming,” but it wasn’t about the coming of Jesus born in a manger in Bethlehem. The focus of Advent was the second coming of Jesus, the one that hasn’t happened yet. It was in the Middle Ages that Advent was linked to Christmas and Jesus’ first coming as a baby (says this article).
I have a confession to make. I don’t always like it when Christians talk about the Second Coming of Christ. Don’t hate me. It’s just that every time that topic comes up, it comes with a doom and gloom tagline. Sometimes in the sense that the world is going to end. Most times in the sense that we’re not doing enough.
As a former good-girl-perfectionist, I get stressed when Christians talk about the Second Coming and how we need to evangelize more, or, do this more, and do that more. The point being: we’re not doing enough. I hear, “You’re not good enough.”
Now I know – and I hope you do too – that being good enough doesn’t matter to God one bit. Really. It doesn’t. God knows we’ll never be good enough. Being sinful in nature, it’s just how it is. God. Doesn’t. Care. Not when it comes to loving us, forgiving us, and making us part of His plans.
When it comes to living to honor and obey Him, it matters that we try not to live in sin. But if people say we don’t pray enough, fast enough, or evangelize enough…I’m calling for a STOP.
*end soapbox*
Isn’t it interesting that Advent is about that Second Coming? Advent is celebrated with colorful calendars, delicious chocolates, and quirky gifts. With Advent, we look forward to the following day. There is excitement and giddy anticipation.
I’ve never seen any kids squeal with joy about the Second Coming of Christ. It’s a somber topic. It has no calendars, chocolates, or gifts. It’s not commercialized by the world. But it’s what Advent is about.
Today we celebrate Advent by focusing on that time Jesus came, while also remembering that He will come again. What if we put more giddy anticipation on the latter, His Second Coming. What if we talk about it while opening tiny boxes and eating the chocolates inside. I know it’s impossible to number the days because nobody except the Father knows the hour of Christ’s return, but we can number our days.
We can wake up every day and instead of listening to the voices that say we’re not doing enough or we’re not being good enough of a Christian, we can focus on the gift of that day.
I know Advent can be stressful for families, and Christmas can be stressful in general. If I’ve lost some holiday spirit, I’m sure others have too. I want to step back and remind us all that it’s not about doing more things. It’s about celebrating the gift of another day.
Jesus is coming again. The doom and gloom tagline won’t go away because the Bible spells them out for us, and that plus not knowing the date of His return gives an urgency to our evangelistic efforts. These can’t be ignored, but we also can’t ignore that He is coming for us.
Jesus is coming for His redeemed. Talk about letting go of all the hurt, pain, and stress. When He comes, all those will go away. We’ll meet Him. There’s even a feast. It’s a fun and exciting and worth of giddy anticipation. When we celebrate Advent and make Christmas preparations, let’s rejoice for the day that Jesus came and for when He comes again.
