THE SETUP
One of my sneaky favorite Christmas movies is Jingle All the Way. In the movie, all a young boy wants for Christmas is a Turbo Man action figure. It is the must-have toy that year. His dad, Howard, (played by Ahh-Nold Schwarzenegger) forgets to buy the Turbo Man figure and chaos ensues. Howard spends all day on Christmas Eve trying to find And buy a Turbo Man, but it’s impossible to find one. Finally, in a whacky turn of events, Howard ends up dressed as Turbo Man in the middle of a Christmas parade.
As part of the parade, he is allowed to give a Turbo Man figure to any child along the route. Who does he choose? His son of course. But in the end, his son ends up giving the action figure away. Why? “Who needs this Turbo Man when I have the REAL Turbo Man at home!” he says.
Advent is a reminder that in the middle of all the holiday stuff — the wrapping, giving, and getting of gifts, and the gathering with family or friends – our real hope (and joy, and peace) lie somewhere else. Advent is a reminder that God wants to be the source of our hope — not our circumstances or our emotions. When we have the real source of hope in our lives, why would we settle for anything else?
PASSAGE TO READ
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
How has God been a source of hope in your life to this point?
What are some things besides God that people tend to put their hope in? Have sny of those things let you down in the past? How so?
What does Paul say the result will be when we trust in God as our source of hope?
PRAYER IDEA
“Father – you are my source of hope. I ask that today you would completely fill me with joy and peace as I put my trust in you. May my life overflow with confident hope so I can share that hope with the people I interact with today. In your name. Amen.”