O, Come, Let Us Adore Him
The Christmas gifts are now put away, and the New Year is in full swing, but I can't seem to shake the melody of "O Come, All Ye Faithful" from my mind. More specifically, the phrase "O come, let us adore Him" keeps repeating like a stuck record in my thoughts. As I sit here in my cozy Welsh cottage, watching the snow in my driveway sparkle in the rising sun, I find myself pondering what it truly means to adore Christ.
You see, we sing these carols year after year, often without giving much thought to their deeper meaning. We know the tunes by heart, and the words roll off our tongues with practiced ease, but do we really understand what we're declaring when we sing about adoring Christ?
The word "adore" comes from the Latin word "adorare," which means to worship or pay homage. But it goes beyond that. When we say we adore something or someone, we express deep love, devotion, and reverence. Think about it—when did you last use the word "adore" casually? We might say we love pizza or enjoy a good book, but we rarely say we adore these things.
In Scripture, we see examples of true adoration in action. Consider the wise men who traveled great distances to worship Jesus:
"When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh." (Matthew 2:10-11)
These wise men didn't just pop by for a quick hello. They fell down in worship. They gave expensive gifts. They demonstrated their adoration through their actions, attitudes, and offerings.
To adore Christ means to place Him at the center of our lives, not just during the Christmas season but every single day. It means acknowledging His supremacy in our lives and responding with wholehearted devotion. It's more than singing songs or attending church services. It's allowing our love for Him to transform how we live, think, and interact with others.
When we truly adore Christ, we find ourselves wanting to spend time in His presence through prayer and Bible study. We desire to please Him with our choices. We long to share His love with others. Our adoration becomes evident in our priorities, perspectives, and pursuits.
So perhaps the next time we sing, "O come, let us adore Him," we should pause and ask ourselves: Am I genuinely adoring Christ in my daily life? Is my devotion to Him evident in my actions and attitudes? Does my life reflect the deep love and reverence that true adoration requires?
After all, genuine adoration isn't just about the words we sing. It's about the life we live in response to His amazing love.