The Power of Jesus Surrounds Us - Advent Devotional Day 16

Scripture
He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God." - John 1:10-13

Reflection
I’ve read this Scripture a few times a day now for the last couple of weeks, and it never gets any easier. Every time I start to have a grasp on what it means, it slips away and I’m again thoroughly confused. The ultimate conclusion I’ve come to is that this is the point of the verse – Jesus is here in me and around me, and yet I am still capable of ignoring him.

This is the humanity of our condition. We are not perfect. We are not saints. We are people trying to grow along the spiritual lines Christ has laid out for us. If you’re like me, this “limitation” feels like a challenge. However, I’ve come to accept this as a freeing aspect of my life today. I don’t have to expect perfection. I can be imperfect, I can mess up, and I can make mistakes. Christ loves me all the same. I have power as a child of God – not as a condition of my perfection (or rather imperfection), but as a guarantee of my existence.

Prayer
God, help me see the beauty in the world around me. Help me understand that I don’t have to be perfect to receive your love. Help me channel your love, as Christ showed me to do, and show the grace of Christ to the world around me. Amen.