Advent hope. How do I live in uncertain times?

By mmayer

Matthew 24:36-44

³⁶‘But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,^[a] but only the Father. ³⁷As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; ³⁹and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. ⁴¹Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

⁴²‘Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. ⁴³But understand this: if the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

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Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. Matthew 24:42

Here we are, alive, and maybe not always so well. It can be very hard, being there for the long haul. How do we keep practising our Christian faith, apart from the obvious ways of joining in worship, and daily prayer and Bible reading, in the face of challenges and disappointments? Here are some ideas.

Justice or support for others. Jesus has lots to say about unjust practices and looking out for others. When faced with things that are wrong, I tend to freeze or feel powerless to make a difference. Listen to what the Spirit is calling us to do. Then take a step.
Honour the giver by enjoying the gifts. Simple enjoyment and delight are great faith practices. It’s wonderful watching children totally absorbed in their imaginative play. In the same way our Heavenly Father delights to watch us totally absorbed in enjoying something God has created, or that other humans have worked with the Spriit to create or develop. What are the things that you enjoy? Do them with a good conscience.
At the end of each day, do a little review or look back over the day. As you become aware, be thankful for the gifts you received, or the things that worked out for you. Gratitude becomes even more important in times of distress or things going wrong. Find one or two things to throw in the face of adversity, and say, “I give thanks for these things. My life is not a total failure.”
Replace negative memories with life-giving ones. Apparently, we’re hard-wired to attach to doom and gloom. Memories of shame or getting something wrong have the power to suck the life out of us. If you find yourself going down those rabbit holes and not emerging, deliberately choose a memory of when you got something right, or helped another, or were in a place of peace and beauty. Sit with those for at least 10-15 seconds, to counteract the immediate debilitating impact of memories of shame or inadequacy.

Try some of these things, as practices this Advent.

Pastor Michael Mayer