Advent - Love

Written by Shelsea Becker

Loved. Given. Believed.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”

—John 3:16

For God so LOVED the world—

Have more powerful words with such depth ever been spoken? I don’t think so.

That He GAVE His only begotten Son—

He so loved.

He gave.

Can something so complex truly be so simple?

Advent invites us to slow down and remember the moment Love entered the world wrapped in flesh. We celebrate the birth of Christ because it points us directly to God’s redemptive plan—a love story written before the foundation of the world was ever set in motion.

We are reminded of our identity. We are made in the image of God, and Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. Because of that, we were created to look like Him, walk like Him, and speak like Him. That truth does not fade with time.

Yet sin disrupted the walking-and-talking relationship we see in the Garden of Eden. Separation entered the story. But God did not leave us there.

Our Abba made a way.

He gave His perfect, blemish-free Lamb—His Son—who knew no sin, yet became sin for us, so that we could be made at one with God again. This is atonement. It is the heart of Advent and the hope of humanity.

This truth must be planted deep within us—held, guarded, and never released.

We—you—me—are so dearly loved.

So loved.

So wanted.

God wants to walk with you.

God wants to talk with you.

Not just during this holy season—but every single day.

It’s one thing to know this love. It’s another thing to feel it. Somewhere along the way, many of us learned to keep our emotions at arm’s length in our relationship with God. Yet Scripture tells us the Holy Spirit can be grieved—and grief is a feeling.

God is not afraid of your emotions. He gave them to you on purpose.

Today, engage all five senses as you celebrate.

Carve out five minutes—yes, even if you have to slip away to the bathroom. Sit quietly in the Lord’s presence. Breathe deeply. Imagine His love being poured out over you. Feel it rest on your head and wash all the way down.

Let yourself feel what has always been true:

You are loved.

You are wanted.

You are chosen.

For whoever BELIEVES in Him shall have everlasting life.

And this belief is not only something we confess—it is something we live, feel, and receive.