The ‘D’ of Advent for me stands for ‘Devotion.’ Devotion is a love or loyalty for someone that is usually seen in actions. If you are devoted to someone, you think about them a lot, and this results in actions. A parent who is devoted to a child will seek the child’s best interests and will look out for them in a hundred little ways. When you’re devoted to someone, you will put their interests ahead of your own and will look to help and bless others.
The Christmas story is full of small acts of devotion: Joseph feeling utterly miserable because he thought Mary had been unfaithful to him but not wanting to expose her to public disgrace, Mary singing praise to God even though to conceive as a virgin left her open to public scorn, Elizabeth publicly naming her son ‘John’ (not a family name) in obedience to the angel’s command. We often feel that small acts of kindness and devotion go unnoticed, but Advent is a time when we can show our gratitude to God in lots of small ways.
Why not use this time to show devotion to those who may be struggling and in need?
