For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. —Philippians 1:6
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Welcome. It’s a noun, an exclamation, a verb and an adjective. Just the word itself sounds welcoming! While there are a few variations on “welcome,” the definition that speaks to me this Advent season is “to accept with pleasure the occurrence or presence of.”
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I think of that day when I first accepted Jesus into my life and started my personal relationship with Him. God was there all the time, calling me to Him, but it took time for my heart and mind to become open to accept His presence. When it happened, I accepted with pleasure. Pleasure—defined as a source of delight and joy—has continued throughout these 30 years to bring hope and peace to my life.
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I think of welcoming Jesus into my daily life—through the good times, the tough times and the ordinary times. I can’t say this happens every day, but it certainly is my goal. Saying yes to Jesus daily translates into how we treat others and how we live our life as an example of love. When we accept this calling daily with pleasure or joy, it implies that we have a willing spirit. It is so easy to go days or weeks not paying attention to a daily call to accept Jesus; we must stay awake and be intentional so that we do not stray too far. And if we do, we once again accept Him and fall into His waiting arms.
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I think of welcoming the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Accepting the Holy Spirit means we are looking for that still, small voice inside us, nudging us to become more like Jesus. Again, when we do this with a willing spirit, we can experience the joy of a new discovery.
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I think of how I’ve been given examples of welcoming many times in my life. My mom is a great cook and entertainer. Mom prepared for traditional holiday gatherings by cooking for weeks in advance, resulting in a large spread of food and a presentation fit for a magazine. At 80, she still goes all out when the family gathers at her house to celebrate. She plans menus months in advance, cooks weeks in advance, decorates her house beautifully and anticipates the occasion with enthusiasm. Having experienced this all my life, it paints a wonderful picture in my mind about “going all out” to welcome. I think to myself, “What if I approached all opportunities to welcome with this attitude? What if I went ‘all out’ on a daily basis to welcome Jesus into my life?” I imagine that my interactions with others would change in a big way for the better.
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Jesus, I welcome you today into my life. Thank you for your presence in my life. Help me to seek Your face each day, so that through Your grace and strength, I may be more like Jesus and show His love to others. Amen.
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Kathy King