What do you have faith in? Do you have faith in all those folks filling the five lanes beside you on the highway, that they will stay in their respective lanes as traffic moves at a pretty good clip? Do you have faith in the doctor’s report? Of course, you have to have faith in your job, that the paychecks will continue and that health insurance is secure. And in family, you have faith they will always be there for you. Right?

In this second week of Advent, the candle lit represents the FAITH Christians have in the miracle birth of the Lord Jesus in Bethlehem. Born of the virgin Mary, the Savior came into the world. Mary did not understand how it would be possible but her response to Gabriel reflected a devout faith in God – “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38).

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped inside her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she exclaimed with a loud cry: “Blessed are you among women, and your child will be blessed! How could this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For you see, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped for joy inside me. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill what He has spoken to her!” – Luke 1:41-45. There were actually two miracle births within six months of each other. One was by ‘natural’ conception, yet Elizabeth had been baron and both she and her husband Zechariah were “well along in years.” When an angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah and told him that his wife would bear him a son, his faith wavered. The angel struck him dumb until his son, John, was born. The second miracle birth was by immaculate conception. Mary’s faith and trust in the Lord God was affirmed when she visited her cousin Elizabeth. Similarly, what a dad has faithin gets affirmed as he sees his kids mature. The charge is to lead the Way in faith in Christ.

Tips to lead the way in faith:

• Lead a family discussion time around faith with candid vulnerability;
• Read Hebrews 11:1 as a family and discuss the “reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen”;
• Reverend Tony Evans provides a unique definition, “Faith is acting like something is so even when it is not so in order that it might be so simply because God said so.”;
• Read Luke 1:1 – 2:20 as a family and discuss the miracles, the relationship between Mary & Elizabeth and between Jesus & John the Baptist;
• Discuss what you have faith in with a friend this week.

Prayer guide: Father, thank You for the miracle births – one that prepared the way for the Lord and One that established the Way to reconnect with You. I confess that I have allowed the craziness around the holidays to disconnect me from the true Reason for this season. Forgive me. I need to slow down and focus on You. Help me be more intentional in leading the Way in faith to CHRISTmas and glorifying You as the Reason for this season in my family. Amen.

A faithful father leads the Way in faith to CHRISTmas.