Today’s Scripture Passage
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
-Isaiah 7:14
Spend Less
Consider all the attributes of God’s Son, the second member of the Triune God, the Messiah, the Savior of the world. Using words to fully describe his holiness, perfection, love, might, and everything else is impossible. Of all the attributes, all the possible names he could be called, the name God wanted us to use was Immanuel.
“God with us.”
He’s a relational God who calls us family, not only rescuing us from sin but to be daughters and sons. As we follow Jesus we find that love is the heart of our relationship to God and to one another. We’re free to love because we’ve been loved. So let’s not shy away from expressing love through time spent together, it’s how we were created to live.
From Advent Conspiracy: Making Christmas Meaningful Again by Rick McKinley, Chris Seay, and Greg Holder
“If we can resist the trap of giving easy gifts, and if we can reject the assumption that giving expensive gifts or many gifts is the best way to express love, something else might begin to happen. We might experience moments of relational giving that our friends and family will care about and remember. Our kids will learn what it means to give gifts that are personal and meaningful. Our neighbors and coworkers and friends will watch us celebrate Christmas differently, and they’ll hear the good news loud and clear through the seasonal static.”