Once again, happy Advent!
I saw two main parts of this Gospel. First, it starts out with a lot of politics with Luke listing off all of the leaders of the region. But then all of a sudden, John the Baptist is mentioned. He goes "throughout the whole region of the Jordan" preaching and baptizing people.
Even though John certainly was not of high ranking and status of the listed political leaders, and even though John risked his life doing this, he still proudly proclaimed God's words. John is a really simple and humble guy. Look him up. He's a cool dude. Yet his influence was so great, so powerful, and so bold. He truly went out of the norm and truly lived FOR God.
This is a great reminder to us that we must be bold. We all have a voice. Use it.
The second part of this Gospel is all about following God's plan. Luke gives us very powerful imagery:
Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth
Imagine going up a steep hill. You can't really see what's up ahead. Or imagine a really curvy and winding path. Everything is unclear and uncertain.
Now imagine God coming and leveling the ground and clearing the path. With God, everything is made known. Obviously no one knows what exactly is ahead, but when you fully trust in God, you know that whatever is in store is right.
This doesn't just happen immediately. You have to put in some effort as well. And notice that Luke writes "make straight his paths." These aren't your paths, but HIS. When you give yourself up and take away all of your distractions, you can truly center your heart on God and fully trust in Him and His plan.
And when everything is finally clear, God's path is straight and perfect and directly leads you to where you need to be.
So we know that we have to clear the path and get rid of those distractions, but how do we actually do that? It's hard to let go, especially in the fast-paced environment and toxic culture that we live in. But if you allow yourself some good quality time with Him, whether that be in the form of prayer, in fellowship, or just some quiet time, you can slowly clear your hearts and minds.
It's easy to get overwhelmed and stressed and frustrated. But taking a step back every once in a while to look of the bright side of life can make a huge difference. Or take a look to see if what you are doing has purpose. Being mindful of this can change your perspective on your everyday life and you may begin to lead a more intentional life.
And remember that this doesn't happen over night.
Be patient. Be bold. Trust in God.
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