Advent reminds us that we are waiting for more than December 25. We are waiting for the world to be made right. We are waiting for an end to disease and dysfunction. We are waiting for more than easier or better or normal.
But are we waiting for Jesus?
Sometimes, we feel like we are waiting for something that isn’t coming. That’s dangerous because it tricks us into filling our waiting with our own activities.
But what if we have the wrong idea about waiting? What if we took another approach?
What if we have the wrong idea
about waiting?
What if waiting brought the image of a waiter bringing food to your table? What if we become servers in our waiting? Then, our waiting has a bigger purpose.
Serving leads with kindness, something our world needs a lot more of. Serving meets someone else’s needs before or instead of our own. Serving has Jesus’ DNA all over it.
What if we become waiters for Jesus? Not stand around people who wait, but involved and connecting, people who make a difference while waiting. What if we serve mercy to someone who receives very little. What if we served forgiveness to those who have hurt us? What if our serving looks like the way Jesus served?
Let’s be waiters for Jesus this Christmas. Let’s start with our families and wait on them. Then, let’s take our waiting outside of our home to grocery store lines and cashiers and into our places of work or study. Let’s stop making waiting about something we want and make waiting about what Jesus wants from us. Wouldn’t that fill our waiting with more Christmas anyway?
Consider the following ways to do the work in your heart before you try to take action.
Let Every Heart Prepare . . .
Who needs your wait-service? Pray about it. Write down two names. Decide how Jesus would serve them.
Pray about a way to serve neighbors or your community. Do it with your family or a friend.
·How does active service change your waiting time?
This post is from this year's Advent Guide, "Let Every Heart Prepare." For your copy of this 4-week resource, click the button below:
Pictures: Lefteris Kallergis,