How are you feeling this holiday season? Is life like a Christmas movie, full of wonder, happiness, and endless cups of hot cocoa? Or are you feeling stressed out, anxious, or maybe even grieving? One classic Christmas song says it’s the most wonderful time of the year, but for many of us, it’s actually the most overwhelming time of the year.
No matter how things are going in your life, it can be challenging to remember why we’re celebrating. That’s why Advent is so valuable. It gives us the opportunity to slow down and refocus on God.
We can’t guarantee that reading this article will make it snow on Christmas or magically make all your holiday worries go away, but it is designed to help you find hope, peace, joy, and love this season.
What Is Advent?
Advent comes from the Latin word “adventus,” which means “arrival.” It’s a time to prepare for and anticipate the celebration of Jesus’ birth at Christmas.
Today, the Advent season is split into four weeks, with each week focused on a word that describes the way Jesus’ birth changes us and the world. Those four words are hope, peace, joy, and love.
Traditionally, churches light a purple candle for the first two weeks—hope and peace. Then a pink candle is lit for the third week—joy—before another purple candle is lit for the fourth week—love.
Find Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love
Now, let’s pause, because if you’ve been to church, read the Bible, or spent any time around Christians, then you’ve probably heard these four words a lot. And maybe these words feel a bit vague. Keep reading to learn more about what these four words and weeks mean.
Week 1: Hope
Hope: The wholehearted, evidence-based conviction that God is making the future better than the past or present.
The week of hope invites us to remember that we can have hope in all of life’s circumstances because Jesus died to reunite us with God.
In our pain and our problems, God is still at work and providing for us. When life stretches us to the limit, we can rest in the evidence of God’s faithfulness, believe in the promises He’s made about our future, and take courage in the face of impossible odds.
Week 2: Peace
Peace: A state of wholeness, tranquility, and renewal between us, God, and others.
You’re likely familiar with the concept of peace as the opposite of war, or as “inner peace,” a state in which you are stable and calm in your mind and emotions. The Hebrew word for peace—shalom—adds another dimension to these two ideas. Shalom also means wholeness or completeness.
Jesus lived, died, and rose again to make peace between us and God, bring calm and stability to our minds and emotions, and make us whole. During week two of Advent, we make a point of remembering this peace that God offers us.
Week 3: Joy
Joy: A resilient cheerfulness anchored in the goodness of God.
How can we feel cheerful when trouble hits? How can we have joy when there’s sickness, death, and misery all around us? We look to Jesus. His life, death, and resurrection give us a reason to have hope and experience peace even in the middle of life’s troubles—and this is what we remember during week three of Advent.
When we trust that God is making a better future and find our rest in Him, this has a positive effect on our attitudes. That isn’t to say that every Christian needs a bubbly, hyper-positive personality. Instead, it means that experiencing God’s goodness can’t help but spill out into our words and actions.
Week 4: Love
Love: Following Jesus’ example by treating everyone as valuable and worthy of sacrificial care.
Every human is made in the image of God and has innate value. That’s why He calls us to show everyone respect, kindness, and care—regardless of their beliefs and background.
Jesus showed us what it looks like to love. When we read about His life, we see Him consistently put others above Himself through acts of service and generosity.
God is more than loving—He is love, and He calls us to be love by being united to Him and following His commands. At Christmas, we have the beginning of the ultimate fulfillment and example of love—the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus—and we remember that love during week four of Advent.
Let’s Review:
Advent takes place during the four weeks before Christmas. Each week focuses on one of these four words:
- Hope: A wholehearted, evidence-based conviction that God is making the future better than the past or present.
- Peace: A state of wholeness, calm, and renewal between us, God, and others.
- Joy: A resilient cheerfulness anchored in the goodness of God.
- Love: Following Jesus’ example by treating everyone as valuable and worthy of sacrificial care.
How Can I Celebrate Advent?
There are many ways to approach Advent and create traditions around it. It’s a great time to build a devotional or prayer time habit with friends and family. Here are a few ideas to help you and your loved ones celebrate the season.
- Read a Christmas Bible Plan with your family, friends, or church small group. You could try the 25-day Advent Bible Plan or the 5-day The Christmas Story Bible Plan
- Buy or make your own Advent calendar as a visual reminder and daily practice to keep you focused on Jesus this season.
- Spread hope, peace, joy, and love through serving others. You could volunteer with a local church or another non-profit. Or you could find someone in your neighborhood who needs support.
You Can Prepare Your Heart
This Advent, pick one way to focus on the coming of Jesus and His kingdom and celebrate with a whole new perspective. You can make this Advent and Christmas season all about God choosing to be with us in the past, present, and future, and embrace His offer of hope, peace, joy, and love.