Advent: Human Gifts...

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Week Two: Gifts for God's People...

...be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 
Ephesians 4:32-5:2

Too often we misinterpret being imitators of God as finger-pointing in judgment, determining who is “in” and who is “out,” who is a “real Christian” and who just comes to church for “show,” who gets to be accepted as is and who much change first. For whatever reason, this behavior seems much easier for us than being kind, tenderhearted, accepting, and forgiving. While the Bible lists many things as sins, Jesus never waited until anyone was “sin-free” before accepting them. He treated us all as beloved children of God. (Well, ironically, except the church folk who were judging other...food for thought.)

Living as obedient disciples means loving God and loving our neighbors as ourselves--imitating our loving God. Maxine shares her thoughts on this imitative living:

Which came first, Christmas or gifts? Gifts were made as tokens of love and esteem long before Christians began to celebrate God’s gift to us of His only son. God certainly set the standard for gift-giving as John 3:16 tells us: “God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, that everyone who has faith in him may not die but have eternal life.” 

God gifts us with people in our lives who remind us that God is with us and bring us closer to God. Who hasn’t felt God’s power, plan, and infinite love in the birth of a child? The miracle of new life fills us with joy and confirms God’s hand in our lives. 

If “a rotten apple can spoil the whole bunch,” then the opposite is also true. FHPC is blessed to have a minister who truly lives his life “from the inside out.” Love at the heart of a church infects the entire congregation in mind and spirit. FHPC strives to express the love it has received in many ways, doing our best to translate God’s love from our hearts to our hands to our community.

Be imitators of God as beloved children, and live in love...

Think what the world might say about disciples of Christ if that’s how we imitated God.

God, give us the wisdom and strength to live as imitators of You. Amen.