Let every heart prepare him room

December 18, 2019 | Sarah LaPlante

About this post: This blog post is part of a series of daily devotionals where we are exploring Jesus' life through the book of John. To sign up to receive text notification of these posts, text zpcdevo to 39970. We welcome your comments and questions each day.

About the author: Merry Christmas! My name is Sarah LaPlante and I am married to Robert LaPlante. We became members of ZPC this past year. We have 3 daughters ages 4, 4, and 2 and we live in Westfield. I am a part-time ABA therapist for children on the autism spectrum and Robert is a Middle School Special Education teacher in Brownsburg. Thank you for being such a welcoming community for our family! 

Scripture: John 18:15-27 

Throughout the Christmas season, I often find myself getting distracted with the “hustle and bustle” of it all. Our December calendar quickly fills with events and activities and while our extra busyness is all in the name of Christmas, I notice how easily these distractions can deny our focus from Christ. We are living in a time where busyness is a badge of honor, social media is a tool to show a desirable life, and our material needs can be met as quickly as a press of a button from our Amazon list. We can swiftly deny ourselves true joy by clouding our everyday lives with distractions. 

In this passage, we read about how Peter denies Jesus 3 times. Peter, who was one of the closest humans to Jesus, invalidated his relationship with him. While we are not typically faced with a life or death situation as Peter was, how often do we deny the invitation to God’s love? Our distractions can sometimes lead us to denying Jesus with our thoughts, words, and actions. We can honor our relationship with Jesus this season by consciously inviting him in every circumstance: long lines at the stores, office Christmas parties, unexpected circumstances, etc. We choose to share light and love with those around us when we don’t deny ourselves a relationship with Jesus in every element of our lives.

Peter was motivated by fear to deny his relationship with Jesus. What are our motivations? Are they drawing us nearer to him or leading us astray? Every day, we face opportunities to honor our relationship with God. In this Advent season, we too can prepare room for Jesus in our thoughts, words, and actions.  

Activity:

I am a  “list maker, calendar keeping" kind of person. Next to each scheduled event we have this season, I write 1 word of how I can honor God. Think of upcoming plans. Write or reflect on a word you would like to exemplify and bring into that occasion. 

Prayer:

God, 
We thank you for this season of hope. We ask for guidance as we prepare room for you in every aspect of our lives. Let us not deny ourselves of the joy a relationship with you brings. 
Amen

 

Share