Scripture Reading
1 Thessalonians 5:5
For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.
Reflection
Identity precedes behavior here, as it so often does in Paul. We do not become children of light by acting like it; we act like it because that is who we are. The darkness we sometimes stumble into is foreign territory — it is not our home. Remembering this is part of how we find our way back to the light.
Prayer for Today
Dear Jesus, you are the hope in our messy world. This Advent, help us slow down, listen to your voice, and focus on what's really important. We place our hope in you as we prepare our hearts to celebrate your birth on Christmas. Amen.
Amen.