Our Advent Devotion for Friday, December 24, comes to us from The Fullness of Time by Henri J.M. Nouwen
But thanks, be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal
procession, and through us spreads in every place the fragrance
that comes from knowing him.
2 Corinthians 2:14 NIV
“Just as we only come to know our true selves by letting ourselves be
known in and through Christ, so too, can we only come to know the true
events of our time in and through the Christ-event. Our true story reveals
itself through the story of Christ"
The Selfless Way of Christ, page 75, by Henri J.M. Nouwen
“The Story of Christ Is Our Story”
Our Christian faith gives us a lens through which we view and interpret all things. The life of Christ is the framework for our own lives. Our relationship with God in Christ is the central, defining characteristic of who we are and what we do. Our own stories are—we hope – not just parallels but intersections with the story of Jesus Christ. His story infuses ours with meaning and purpose. We give thanks to God for this relationship that permeates our lives and spreads its “fragrance” wherever we go. This relationship is both our anchor and our compass. What is Christmas but a giving thanks to God for the intersection of the life of Jesus Christ with our own?
Friends –
To see our own lives through the lens of Christ’s example leads us to know that God leads us to make our own lives follow in the example that God sent us in Christ. How can we follow that example as we go through the days that God has graciously granted to each of us.
Pastor Bea
Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, your life, death and resurrection are a road map for my own. May I walk every road with you. May my life perfectly intersect with yours, from beginning to end. Amen.
Henri J.M. Nouwen