There’s something magical about this time of year.
At our house, we’re overwhelmed by extension cords and controllers. Those bins of pixel Christmas lights somehow multiply every year. We are setting everything up at a new house this season. It feels like we’re rebuilding Christmas from the ground up. We do it one strand, one bulb, and one late-night troubleshooting session at a time.
But even with the extra work, there’s this hum of excitement underneath it all. The anticipation. The “it’s-going-to-be-worth-it” energy. The sense that something bright is coming.
And that, in a very small way, is the heartbeat of Advent.
What is Advent?
“Advent” comes from the Latin word adventus, meaning “arrival” or “coming.” For centuries, Christians have marked the four Sundays leading up to Christmas as a time to slow down. We look forward and prepare our hearts for the arrival of Jesus. This includes His arrival in Bethlehem and His promised return.
Advent isn’t just a countdown to Christmas morning.
It’s a season of focused expectation.
A season that teaches us how to wait well.
A season that reminds us that God always keeps His promises.
And the theme of the first Sunday of Advent is hope.
One of the clearest pictures of biblical hope comes from Romans 15:13:
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:13, New International Version
Biblical hope isn’t wishful thinking; it’s confident anticipation. It’s knowing the Lord is faithful even when the world is dark, uncertain, or not yet what we long for it to be. Hope says, “He’s moved before, and He will move again.”
As we untangle lights and map out where everything will go, we’re working on something that isn’t shining yet. Sometimes, we’re working in the rain, mud, and cold. The neighbors don’t see it. The guests can’t enjoy it. The songs aren’t synced, the glow isn’t glowing, and the twinkly lights aren’t twinkling.
But we’re building toward it. We’re trusting that all this effort will become something beautiful in the right moment.
That’s hope.
Much of life with the Lord feels like that “in-between” space:
We’re working in the dark.
We’re dealing with mud.
We’re working on promises that haven’t yet been fulfilled.
We’re trusting Jesus is building something beautiful even when the “lights” haven’t switched on yet.
Advent teaches us that waiting isn’t wasted. The Lord is at work in the middle. His promises are already on the way, even if they haven’t lit up the night sky yet.
This Advent, let the season remind you:
- If you’re waiting for something—a breakthrough, a healing, a restored relationship, direction, peace—you’re not waiting alone.
- If life feels dim, the Light of the World has come, and He is coming again.
- If you feel worn out, Jesus is the One who fills you with hope.
Make space for anticipation.
Light a candle.
Sing His praises.
Read the Bible.
Pray with expectation.
Look for His fingerprints in small, everyday moments.
Hope is not passive. Hope looks forward.
And as Romans 15:13 says, hope doesn’t just sit quietly; it overflows.
So as the lights go up in our homes, in our neighborhoods, and in our hearts, may this first Sunday of Advent remind you that Jesus brings a hope nothing in this world can dim.
The anticipation will pay off.
The Light has come.
And the best is still on its way.
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Life Meets Theology 