The Abundance of the Promise

“The God who made the world and everything in it
is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in
temples built by human hands. And he is not served
by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he
himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.”
(Acts 17:24-25)

As we strive to focus on Jesus during Advent, it’s easy to be distracted by the mantra of consumerism: the more, the better! In many ways it has become a season of excess, an excuse to go over the top with decorations and food and gifts. You can never have too many lights on the house, parties to attend, or presents under the tree, right? Indulging in the festivities of the season can be harmless enough–after all, it is a celebration. But our culture seems to have adopted the mind-set of more in regards to every aspect of our lives. We are bombarded daily with messages that tell us we need more of this or that in order to live a happy life. Many of us have come to believe the myth of scarcity–the idea that we do not have enough of what we need.

We all buy into the myth of scarcity in different areas of our lives, whether we feel there is never enough time, money, resources, or possessions. And when we buy into this myth, we close our hands tightly around what we already have, falling into greed and self-protection. (Remember Scrooge?)

When these feelings creep in during Advent, we need to turn our eyes to the wonder of Christmas–to this reminder that Jesus came to earth to remind us of his abundant love and resources: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). Through Jesus we have access to the limitless abundance of our heavenly Father, who gives us everything we need in order to love and serve others. We do not need to worry about not having enough, for God has given us”everything we need (2 Peter 1:3 NLV).

By serving and giving freely to others, we pass on the promise of God’s abundant love, remembering what God has done for us. Serving is for our good, not for God’s. Acts 17:25 tells us that God is “not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.” We serve, not because God needs us to serve. As Scripture points out, God is fully able to do any work without help. But when we serve, we are reminded of God’s great love and provision for us, which leads us to worship through loving and serving others.

Prayer Focus
Consider the ways you are living with an attitude of scarcity. Confess this to the Lord and ask to be led in some practical ways so you can keep the promise of Christmas this season by showing others the abundant love of God.

From Rob Renfroe and Ed Robb, The Wonder of Christmas: Devotions for the Season