Advent: An Intentional Way to Prepare Your Heart for Christmas
For most of us, the holidays are a mad dash ‘til Christmas. It can be hard to recognize the reason for the season before it ends. Instead of waiting until Christmas to think about Christ, Christian traditions have a history of stepping back and starting early – celebrating the month-long season of Advent.
This year, Advent, derived from the Latin word for “arrival”, lasts from November 28th and December 24th. It’s a time set aside for preparation and reflection, celebrating the arrival and birth of Jesus Christ. These few weeks are spent fasting, praying, and meditating on scriptures about the true meaning of Christmas day.
Whether you faithfully celebrate Advent or are just learning about what it means, you can participate in the traditions practiced by believers for centuries. We all need practical tools that turn our minds towards the “Christ” in Christmas and create more intentionality around preparing for this special day. Here are a few easy ways to participate and be intentional – preparing our hearts and minds to celebrate the greatest gift ever received:
Photo by Georgia de Lotz
1. Light Your Candles
Traditionally, the candles lit during Advent (and the four Sundays on which it’s celebrated) represent love, joy, hope, and peace. An accompanied wreath, as well as a fifth and final candle, has multifaceted meanings all pointing to Christ. Next time you light a candle or look at your wreath, let it symbolize the holiday's true meaning and be a simple yet beautiful reminder of what Christmas is all about in your home.
2. Fast For Focus
Fasting, the act of abstaining yourself from something like food, is an incredible way to fix your mental focus. Maybe you don’t fast for forty days like fifth century Christians did, but take a few days this month to yield your desires to God. Fast in an act of preparation and reflection, turning that hungry void into a trigger for worship and prayer.
3. Journal Your Reflections
Take the four virtues focused on during Advent – love, joy, hope, and peace – and journal your thoughts on one each day or each week. Jot down notes how you connect with these themes and read over the reflections God gave you on Christmas morning!
4. Meditate on The Word
Read up on the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:1-20, Matthew 1:18, Matthew 2:1-11) or the Advent virtues (Galatians 5:22, Hebrews 11:1). Once you’ve read these passages let them really sink in, thinking about what Christ’s life truly accomplished for us all.