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Advent Devotional for Friday, December 12
Philippians 3:12-16
In a dresser drawer, I keep a small box full of odd stuff that means something to me. The box has a tie clip that my father-in-law, who died in 2012, gave to me. In the box I keep a cross from a church meeting that I attended in Hungary in 1984. And the box itself? A friend that I went to school with brought it back from a trip to Ethiopia. Looking at those souvenirs can instantly spark fond memories. Thinking about the past can give us comfort and make us feel thankful for God’s blessings.
Sometimes, however, thinking about the past can keep us from seeing what God is doing right now. In our reading from Philippians, Paul strains forward to what God has in mind for today and tomorrow: life in Christ Jesus that is not limited by death. The apostle Paul points his focus forward to this goal because he trusts that God in Christ has already redeemed him. In Advent, we count up the Sundays until we reach the fourth one. Then we know that we are close to the goal of this part of the church year: the celebration of Jesus’ birth. But the season of Advent also asks us to look forward, to sharpen our senses to see what God is about to do in our lives. God’s promise to be with us endures despite the highs and lows of our income and the pains of illness.
Like Paul, we are not content to take it easy on the grounds that we have already shown our faithfulness by giving time to our church and community. The story of our faith is not done yet. Like runners leaning forward to cross the finish line first, Paul encourages us to press on with acts of faithfulness. What will faithfulness look like for you?
Let us pray: Lead us on, Lord Jesus. Make us unable to rest on past accomplishments. Push us forward to serve others in your name, confident that your love will always support us. Amen.
Timothy Lincoln
Associate Dean for Seminary Effectiveness,
and Director of the Stitt Library
For the glory of God and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary is a seminary in the Presbyterian-Reformed tradition whose mission is to educate and equip individuals for the ordained Christian ministry and other forms of Christian service and leadership; to employ its resources in the service of the church; to promote and engage in critical theological thought and research; and to be a winsome and exemplary community of God's people.
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