“Often, when we are familiar with things, we begin to take them for
granted. When we are familiar with things, we tend to quit examining them. […] Familiarity
tends to rob us of wonder.”
My husband and I read this quote by
Paul David Tripp last night in the introduction to his advent devotional O Come Let Us Adore Him. Tripp writes
that his hope in these daily devotional readings leading up to Christmas is
that they will help the reader truly meditate on the Christmas narrative so
that he or she may recapture the wonder of the
Incarnation. That’s my hope this Christmas. Isn’t it yours?
It’s so easy to get caught up in all
the extras – the decorating, Christmas baking, presents, and parties. We
remember Christ’s birth as we sit in church and sing the beloved Christmas
carols, but in the day-to-day, at least for me, my heart is more captured by
the “feeling” of the Christmas season than by the Savior who was born. After
all, I’ve known the Christmas story as far back as I can remember. It is very familiar to me. And yet, Tripp is right:
Familiarity does rob us of wonder if we let it. So I, for one, am determined
not to let it rob me of that wonder this year. Here’s my plan. I write this as
an encouragement to you to come up with your own ways to not let Christmas
become familiar. Let’s spend much time this Advent season in awe that a holy
God would stoop down to this lowly earth and become one of us in order to
rescue us. And let us look ahead with anticipation to His return when He comes
again, not as a baby, but as a King. Here is how I’m being intentional this
month:
1. An advent devotional: These are
daily readings from the first of December through Christmas Day to point me toward
the real meaning of the season. An added bonus: Kelly and I are reading these
short devotionals together in the evenings, so we can dialogue about them and
be in awe together.
2. An Advents wreath: This is a
tradition I grew up with in Germany. The wreath holds four candles, and since
today was the first of the four Sundays leading up to Christmas, we lit the
first candle. Next Sunday, we’ll light two and so on. The candles remind us of
Christ’s coming as the “Light of the World.” The word Advent actually means arrival
or coming, and it not only reminds us of Christ’s birth as a baby, but it also
points towards His second coming when all will be made right.
3. A Family Advent devotion book:
This may seem overwhelming, but we found a great Advent book for families with
three devotions per week (Prepare Him
Room). This is totally doable, and the kids really seemed to enjoy it today
(well, at least the older two did). Each day includes a Scripture passage with
a short devotional, a Christmas carol, and a fun but simple activity. Oh, how I want to pass on to my kids that the
gift of Christ is so much greater than any toy they could get at Christmas.
4. Songs and Messages: I don’t want
to simply sing Christmas songs and hear the Christmas story in messages and
think, “Wow, I love Christmas time.” (Again, just that ‘warm, fuzzy feeling.’)
I want to be in awe. I want to worship. I want to fall on my face before the
God who loved this world enough to come down “when the fullness of time had
come.” I want to be amazed that the Old Testament prophecies had come true. And
that the same God who kept His promises then still keeps His promises now, and
thus I can know that He will come back one day to reign. This Christmas, I want
to be filled with wonder.
--Amy O'Rear
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