The season of Advent has begun.

Some of you will know what that means. Others won’t. That’s because some Christian traditions have emphasized it and others have not.

It is the four-week season that leads up to Christmas. The word “advent” itself means “coming,” referring to the coming of Christ. On one level is about the first coming of Christ. On another it is about his second coming.

How do you prepare?

Well, you pretend to be happy all the time, spend way too much money, cram your schedule so full that you stop enjoying the small pleasures in life, skip out on the important things like worship and acts of charity, and blow up at loved ones.

Hopefully you can see that I’m joking! But for many people, that kind of sounds like the month before Christmas, doesn’t it? I’ve started to call it the Holly Jolly Hurricane. It doesn’t sound or feel very peaceful.

In 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 Paul instructs some fellow-believers about how to prepare for the advent of Jesus. It’s a great message for us today as we try to cut through the rush and bills of the Holly Jolly Hurricane and ready our hearts to meet Jesus:

“May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.”

Isn’t that great? Love and holiness.

-One deed which puts someone else first.
-One well-timed act of grace.
-One less thing on the calendar. 
-One more quiet night of worship.
-One word of hope to someone who carries a private burden.
-One walk in the woods which gives rest to the soul.
-One act of forgiveness or mercy, perhaps even for yourself.

It’s Advent. Jesus is coming. 

Let’s prepare with love and holiness.

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Notes:

–Bible quotes are from the NIV.