McAlder Blog

When you were a child, did you ever have an adult in your life who would always come with a gift when visiting you? For me, one of those adults was my grandfather. In fact, when I was really young, there was a time period when I could count on him bringing me something no matter how often we would meet. Looking back on it, the things he would give me were random—things like a comic book, a ballpoint pen, a bouncy ball, or even a quarter. At the time, however, I didn’t care. All I knew is that when I saw him, I could count on getting something new. 

This month in December, we are exploring what it means for us to have unshakeable love. As I reflect on this “stage” of my relationship with my grandfather, I am reminded of how easy it is for us to relate to God and one another with the expectation of getting something out of it. For the record, I do believe we get something tangible and significant from our relationships—accountability, love, support, and encouragement, just to name a few. 

But if our love for each other and God depends solely on what we can get out of it (even the good things mentioned above), we end up loving when it is convenient, when we benefit from it, or when it is in our best interest (often at the expense of others). Unfortunately, more often than not, we quickly find these kinds of relationships unsatisfying, unable to withstand trials, and even, in worst-case scenarios, broken and undone. 

In contrast to this “shaky” love, the Christmas story is the story of a God who showed us what unshakeable love looks like. God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son. The word for love used in the famous John 3:16 passage is the Greek word agape, which means “unconditional.” When there was no room for Him, when He was despised and rejected, even when He was nailed to death on a cross, God loved the world selflessly without conditions. As a result, God showed the world the power behind selfless love. When we empty ourselves of selfishness and risk loving God and others with a selfless love, we open ourselves up to a power that can move stars in the universe (Matthew 2:9), exalt the humble (Luke 1:52), bring the wise and powerful to their knees (Matthew 2:11), and bring about change and transformation in the lives of human beings. In Jesus, we truly come face to face with a LOVE that cannot be shaken! 

Throughout the month of December, we will be working to equip our students in how to live out one of our Personal Character Outcomes: making an impact on society through active citizenship and responsible stewardship. We will show how making a difference starts with Jesus, who made the ultimate impact on the world by defeating sin and death through His selfless love. By surrendering to His love, being filled with it from the inside out, and committing ourselves to sharing this selfless love with others, we can make a difference in our world today. 

I pray God’s blessing on you as we make this journey together.