Winter fog huddles over the earth like a guest arriving late to a party that has long since drawn to a close. I watch from the window and take a deep breath as we prepare for a full week of Christmas festivities. You’re probably gearing up for a full week as well. If so, here are two gentle reminders to help you embrace God’s purpose for your life this Christmas.
We’re gathered around the table while the kids gulp down dinner—Advent candles flickering in expectation—when I dig into the Word of Life for some soul food at the end of the dark December day.
We’re weeks behind on our daily Advent readings, mostly because there was nothing legalistic about the way we read this year. Today’s reading takes us back to Genesis as we examine Christ’s presence at the very beginning of the Story.
I read the whole account of Genesis 1. God creates the sea, the sky, the moon, the vegetation, and the crawling creatures. With each new creation, God declares, “Let there be . . .”
Then, we reach the sixth day.
On the sixth day, God forms Adam. Unlike every other day, God doesn’t say, “Let there be . . .”
Instead, God says, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness . . .”
I don’t know what the scene looked like in the throneroom on the sixth day, but I can’t help but wonder if there was a special twinkle in the eyes of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Imagining the twinkle, I’m taken back. I’m taken back to a winter day in 2009 when I looked at my young husband of three short years and said, “I think I’m ready. I think I’m ready to transition from classroom teacher to mom.”
I’m taken back to the excitement that sparked at the thought that we might become the parents of some precious blue-eyed baby.
I remember the way we looked at each other every time we talked about the possibility of a baby. The expectations for the future were like a secret gift. We could hardly talk about it without becoming giddy with excitement—our faces aglow with expectation.
I can’t help but wonder if this is how it looked in heaven when the Three-in-One God decided to make the first man.
Was there a shared expression of excited hope as Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit planned Adam’s creation?
God’s Purpose for Your Life
I sit in stunned silence as the Advent candles flicker and that firstborn blue-eyed child goes to the fridge for ketchup.
“Whatcha thinkin’ about?” she asks.
“I’ve never thought about the creation story like this before,” I tell her. “I’m imagining God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit overflowing with excitement at the thought of creating the first human. Kind of like parents who can’t wait to meet a baby that hasn’t been born yet.”
“Do you think they were excited?” she asks.
“I imagine they were. I imagine they felt kinda like your dad and I felt when we were watching my belly expand as you grew inside me,” I say.
“Maybe,” she answers thoughtfully. “But what’s all this have to do with Christmas?”
“Well, it’s reminding us that our God is relational. He created us from a relationship, and he created each of us to live in a relationship with him and also in relationships with others. God’s purpose for our lives is that we would love him and love others,” I explain.
She nods. “I guess that’s a good reminder for Christmas week or any time of the year.”
~~~
As we head into this full week, let’s take a moment to pause and remember God’s purpose for us all. Let’s remind ourselves that we are called to love God and love others (see Luke 10:27). Here are two concrete reminders for your week:
First, God’s purpose for your life is to love him.
The fact that the Triune God huddled up to create the perfect plan for the first person tells us that God was relational by character before he made the first person. This matters because when we see the unchanging nature of our Holy Father, we see that relationships mattered to him so much that he created the first man out of a relationship.
God’s character does not change with time. He is still a relational God. He still exists as a Triune God in a throne room where relationships are his greatest delight.
God created you to live in a relationship with him. Like a healthy marriage, relationships deepen with time. Is your relationship with God deepening, or have you reached a plateau?
If you are hungry to go deeper with God, ask him to help you encounter him afresh today. Make it a priority to seek his face every day. Read his written Word. Talk to him throughout your day as you would talk to a friend.
God wants to speak into your life.
Second, you will find God’s purpose for your life by living in relationships with others.
God said that it was not good for Adam to be alone; therefore, he created a helper suitable for him. God created Eve for companionship with Adam. We are created for relationships with others.
Let’s not allow the familiarity of this truth to pass by us. We embrace God’s purpose for our lives when we make relationships a priority. This week, some of us will cross paths with people who rub us the wrong way. We’ll sit around tables, revisit childhood memories, and feel stretched in dozens of different directions. All the while, God is calling us to invest in these relationships.
I used to believe the concept of iron sharpening iron always looked like believers united in heart, pouring over Scripture and encouraging one another. More and more, I am learning that iron sharpening iron also looks like working through differences in our relationships. This week, let’s be mindful to approach our relationships with soft hearts.
God uses these relationships to smooth our rough edges and mold us to his image.
Let’s aim to be kind when we want to snap. Let’s pick our battles wisely. And let’s slow down to relish the good moments. You never know when you just might be gathered around the table for the last Christmas.
God’s purpose for your life will always involve loving him and loving others. As we head into this holy week, ask God to show you opportunities to cultivate these relationships. He will answer your prayer.
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Stacey Pardoe
Featured Image by Mariya from Pixabay
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