Advent Week 4 – Love
- Bill Berger
- Dec 19, 2023
- 5 min read
Dec 19 –
I Corinthians 13:13 – “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
The emphasis on love aligns with the spirit of giving and selflessness that characterizes the Advent season. As we prepare to celebrate the love of God shown to us in the birth of Jesus, we are encouraged to express love to others through acts of kindness, generosity, and compassion.
Applying this verse to Advent prompts us to reflect on the deeper meaning of the season beyond the cultural and commercial aspects. It encourages a focus on love, and how this can be lived out in daily life as we prepare to welcome the birth of Christ in our heart and soul.
Question: As you journey through the Advent season, how can you actively incorporate the principles of faith, hope, and love into your daily life and interactions with others?
Prayer: Dear Jesus, we are reminded of the enduring virtue of love. Your Word teaches us that the greatest of these is love, a love that was revealed to us through the birth of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Teach us to love, just as You have loved us. In this season of giving, help us express Your love through acts of kindness, compassion, and generosity. May our love for others reflect the love that You first showed us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
dec 20 –
Colossians 3:14 – “And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”
Because we have put on the new self, receiving new life in Jesus, we are being renewed—we are being transformed. As part of this new life, believers ought to put on various characteristics, including love. In the same way we might put on clothes, believers should actively and attentively put on certain characteristics and attitudes toward one another, including compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and bearing with and forgiving one another. But, “over all these virtues,” Paul says, “put on love.” This is the perfect bond of unity.
Question: In what specific ways can you allow love to guide your interactions with others, create unity in your relationships, and serve as a reflection of the love that God has shown us through the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ?
Prayer: Dear Jesus, help us to put on love in our daily lives. May our interactions be characterized by the love that binds us together. In moments of joy, may love be our response. In times of challenge, may love be our anchor. Guide us to mirror the love that You have given us through the birth, life, and sacrifice of Jesus.
Dec 21 –
Ephesians 3:17-19 – “so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
Jesus, as a baby born of Mary, became for us God’s love incarnate. He is God’s gift of love to all of us. Born in the flesh, lying in humble beginnings, honored by shepherds from the field and by angels from on high. This is God’s love that is beyond all knowledge This is Jesus by whom we become God’s adopted children through God’s love for us.
Question: How can you express gratitude, represent Christ in your interactions, and cultivate an environment of love and mutual respect, both in your personal life and within your community?
Prayer: Dear Jesus, we bring before you our relationships, asking for your guidance and grace. Help us to cultivate environments where forgiveness and understanding abound. For husbands, wives, children, and all relationships, may the love and peace of Jesus reign supreme. May we be vessels of your love and grace, impacting the world around us for your kingdom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Dec 22 –
John 15:9 – “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.”
When we rest in God, we discover His love is stronger than life and more powerful than death. Only as we rest in Him and remain connected to Him, can we draw from His wisdom and strength, His power and grace, His truth and holiness, His peace and His joy. Only as we live in Christ, can we access all we need for life and godliness.
Question: What intentional actions, habits, or attitudes can you adopt to deepen your connection with Jesus and experience the fullness of His love on a daily basis?
Prayer: Dear Jesus, it staggers my mind to realise how deeply I am loved by You. I pray that I would learn to live in God’s love moment by moment and day by day. Keep me ever looking to Jesus and resting in His love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Dec 23 –
I John 4:7-8 – “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
Believers are called to be at peace with one another, be of the same mind as one another, have patience with one another, forgive one another, bear one another’s burdens, speak the truth to one another, pray for one another, and exhibit other qualities of the Spirit. It is this kind of sacrificial love that shows the world who God is in hopes that others will receive and experience God’s love and forgiveness.
Question: how can you intentionally cultivate a lifestyle of love in your relationships and interactions?
Prayer: Dear Jesus, we surrender ourselves to your transformative love, asking that it moulds us into people of compassion, kindness, and understanding. May our love draw others closer to you, revealing the depth of your love for all of humanity. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Dec 24 –
Ephesians 3:17-19 – “so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
Because God has rooted and grounded us in His own love, we can live in relationship and community with Him, getting to know His amazing love better each day. That is what is being prayed for us, and that is the richness of our inheritance in God, as He has blessed us also with every spiritual blessing given to us by Jesus. One of those great blessings is the fact that God has rooted and grounded us in His love.
Question: How can the themes of Christ dwelling in your heart, being rooted in love, and grasping the dimensions of Christ's love become a transformative reality in your life during the Christmas season?
Prayer: Dear Jesus, help us to be rooted and established in the love revealed in the manger. May the story of Jesus' birth be more than a historical event; let it be a living reality in our lives. Grant us the grace to comprehend the vastness of Christ's love—its width, length, height, and depth. In the midst of the parties and celebrations, may we not lose sight of the profound love that Christmas represents. In Jesus’ name, Amen.