“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–24, NIV)  

The journey of faith is not about instant perfection. It’s about daily progress. As we wait in this season in Advent, we are also waiting in life – we’re waiting for growth, for change, for the fullness of God’s work in us to be realized. This work is not a burden, it is a gift. Our Redeemer who came as a baby in Bethlehem will come again in glory.

Paul reassures us with the promise that God will do it. Not us. We cannot do it. Nothing in our efforts can accomplish the transformation. Not our church attendance or a flawless life, nothing but God. This is the heart of the gospel, God is at work in us, accomplishing what we could never accomplish on our own. It is the promise that allows us to let go of our striving and rest in the assurance of God’s unfailing grace and power.

When we look at it this way, the call to hold on to what is good takes on new meaning. We hold on, not because we fear losing our salvation or God’s favor, but because in doing so, we participate in the divine. We become co-laborers with Christ, spreading goodness in a world that is full of brokenness and despair. This is the work of Advent, holding on to hope, peace, joy and love and sharing these gifts with others.

As we move through the Advent season we are reminded of the prophetic voices that called Israel to expect the coming Messiah. They held on to hope against hope, believing that God would fulfill his promises. We are inheritors of that same promise and our anticipation during Advent.

While we wait, we are active participants in the kingdom of God. We’re not idle, but we are called to live out the kingdom values here and now the way we love our neighbor, the way we care for the least of these, the way we steward the creation, all of these things are reflections of our anticipation of Christ return. The joy of Advent is not just in the waiting, it is in the doing. It is in living out the teachings of Jesus. Today. It is in being his hands and feet in a world that yearns for a touch of love.