The proper course of Christian living

The Advent season marks the beginning of the Christian life, because it’s the first act of setting apart our life to the will of God.  Advent is also a season of anticipation, so in one sense it’s happy in the hope of Christ’s appearing, and it’s penitential because we’re trying to get ourselves ready for His return.  The collect for the season of Advent is a prayer that all Christians should keep in their hearts; it sets our hearts and minds on the proper course of Christian living.

“Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.”

This prayer sets some big expectations for us.  Some may think they are beyond our reach, which would mean the prayer can’t be prayed faithfully.  I prefer to take C.S. Lewis’ advice on this, “very often the only way to get a quality in reality is to start behaving as if you had it already,” So, we can pray beyond our ability because we know that God is the One who gives us that right desire and then He works in us so that we become more like He is.  A child grows into a mature adult through effort and will, and by imitating its parents as they assist and encourage the child.  And so it is in the Christian life.  We learn to pray for the good of our eternal soul, with faith that God will hear our prayers and answer them.

A Christian who has renewed determination at Advent can quickly get discouraged by an immediate failure to be perfectly obedient to the Law of God.  Then that broken-heartedness for disappointing God can cause the Christian to sink into spiritual immaturity.  Why try when the pain of failure or possibly repeated failure is so discouraging?  This has become the state of mind for too many Christians, who set out to be a disciple with great hope and determination but after a spiritual stumble or two, shrink into a defeatist attitude. 

But, we need to face that enemy of spiritual depression head on and steer a course for a hopeful Christian year of growth.  We should take Saint Paul as our guide and guardian against spiritual depression: “…for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.” (Romans 13:8) Always remember this when depression challenges you. 

Now, focus not only on the beauty but the intended meaning of “loveth” and why the archaic endings can still teach us the purpose behind the Holy Bible, translated in 1611.  “Loveth” is a verb in the present tense, which means it’s the state of the heart and mind at that very moment.  It’s not necessarily concerned with what was done yesterday but it reminds us that love is a state of the heart, mind and will, NOW.  We’re to love God today, regardless of the past, regardless of our fear of the future, regardless of things we can’t change in days gone by or what we might fail to do tomorrow.  Love is living in the present moment with our heart set on God.

Saint Paul is encouraging us not to focus on obedience to the law as our first priority, but to strive for a right relationship, communion and fellowship with God.  It’s for that very reason that our Savior told us to, “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, mind, and strength.”  Our fulfilling the Law is motivated by love for God, not the fear of punishment or failure.  In other words, when we put love for God as our first and greatest desire, we find that obedience follows without the burden of guilt or threat being attached.  The world will know God because we love Him and keep His commandments.