The Gift of Hope

Scripture

 1 Corinthians 1:3-9

³Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, ⁵for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind — ⁶just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you — ⁷so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁸He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.    (NRSV)

Devotion

 Today's scripture is one of the Revised Common Lectionary's recommended readings for the first Sunday of Advent.  Advent is a season of reflection and expectation as people prepare ourselves for Christ's coming...not just as a baby in a manger but also as our glorious, risen Savior.  Christians who celebrate this season often light candles and reflect on readings tied to a weekly theme.  In my tradition, the theme for the first week of Advent is Hope.

You may find yourself wondering why 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 is considered a good Advent reading.  After all, there is no mention of the Christ child...no angels singing...no imagery of lights in the darkness or miraculous paths through the wilderness or barren deserts bursting into flowers.  There isn't even a warning to be ready for Christ's eminent return.

What makes this a good Advent passage is its focus on the God's faithfulness as we wait for Christ's return.   Paul explains that no matter what the world throws at us, Jesus will give us both the strength and the spiritual gifts we need to stay true to him as we testify to his goodness.  Because our faithful God will continue to help us live into those spiritual gifts, we will not be afraid to stand before Christ when he appears to the world in all his glory.

So what are these spiritual gifts?  Paul's various letters describe several of them.  Among the ones mentioned in 1 Corinthians are wisdom, knowledge, faith, the ability to heal people, the ability to perform miracles, the ability to prophesy, the ability to tell spirits apart, and the ability to speak in or interpret other languages.  There are also plenty of spiritual gifts that Paul does not mention...either because they weren't as necessary in his context or he just didn't think to talk about them. We can see any special ability we have that can help spread the Good News is a spiritual gift from God to us.  Each one of those gifts is made possible through the love and grace of Jesus Christ, whose return we are still awaiting.

 2020 has been a difficult year...a year when people of every race, nation, and creed have found it hard to hold onto hope.  As we live into this Advent season, I challenge you to think creatively about your spiritual gifts.  How can you, through the power of Holy Spirit, use those gifts to share the hope we find in Christ?  Perhaps you are a skilled baker or artist who can share some simple joys with people in need of a pick-me-up.  Perhaps you have been blessed with a spirit of giving.  Perhaps you have skills that could help an individual or a charitable organization.  Perhaps you are a good listener or are gifted at offering wisdom and encouragement to others. 

The gifts we each have to give may seem small...especially when we compare them to the sheer size of the world's problems.  I'm sure things felt that way to the Corinthians as well.  No matter how tiny our spiritual gifts may seem to us, Christ has promised to strengthen us until the very end.  Because our faithful God is with us, we can rest assured that we have to give will never run out.  What's more, when our gifts are combined with those of other faithful people, we will see that, together, we lack for nothing. Through God's grace and Christ's mercy, we will be a people who continue to share hope with the world. 

So let us take Paul's words to heart and light the Candle of Hope--both in our spirits and in the world.  With Christ to keep it burning, we can have faith that the hope we share with others will never go out.   And the day will surely come when the Daystar that shines our hearts will light the pathway of Christ's return.

Prayer 

"Come thou long awaited one
In the fullness of your love...

Here I wait in hope of you
All my soul's longing through and through
Dayspring from on high be near
And daystar in my heart appear"  (Christy Nockels)