But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
- Romans 5:8 (NIV)
My wife and I have a silly game we play. One of us will tell the other, “I love you.” And then the other person will try to out-do them by saying, “I love you more.” Which raises the question: Can love be measured? Does sending two dozen roses reflect twice as much love as one dozen? Does a more expensive gift suggest greater love than a less expensive gift? Is there a device that computes a quantifiable measurement of love? Is there an AI algorithm that spits out an objective love score?
Silly, right?
Maybe the more important question is: Can love be demonstrated?
And the answer to that is a resounding YES! We see demonstrations of love all the time. Through financial generosity. Through acts of service. Through personal sacrifices. In fact, the Advent season serves as reminder of the greatest demonstration of love God poured out on us: sending his son, Jesus, to save the world.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son. (John 3:16)
Because of God’s great love for this world, Jesus himself crossed over the boundaries of heaven and all its idyllic comforts; and chose to step into the realities of this world, filled with all the mess and brokenness of our lives. I’m not sure how you actually measure a sacrifice like that. All I know is that Jesus's arrival was an extraordinary act of love, so profound it changed the history of our world.
So here’s a very simple faith exercise for this Advent season: Can you demonstrate an act of love every day? Knowing that God loved us and actually did something to demonstrate that love, can you do the same for those around you? It can be big or small, costly or crafty, a gift or a gesture—anything to highlight the importance of love this Advent season.
