Advent-prepare

If Advent is the season of expectation and waiting, then preparation is involved.
John the Baptist was God's Advent messenger for the coming of Christ. Matthew 3 tells us of this strangely dressed man with an even stranger diet who quoted the prophet Isaiah, and ranted about the Jewish leaders who were missing the point about actually preparing for the Messiah's kingdom.
We soon get the message that he was calling for an internal preparation, a reordering of priorities. To start doing things that would ultimately make it easier for God's kingdom to come. To begin to recognize the individual changes necessary for the kingdom to take root. To take one step towards God so that they would be ready to walk with Him.
John's call to repentance (turn around) was scary enough. Christ's declaration that the kingdom had arrived was potentially life altering. It's one thing to try to point your life in a new direction. It's another thing to surrender your independance to a new King.
Now I'm not saying we can or have to clean ourselves up a bit so that we can go have a bath. The idea of preparation that John's preaching brings is to make the first step towards following this new King. To turn around. To change your mindset. To watch and follow.
As we again contemplate that Christ came to bring His kingdom, let us recognize its' coming by taking a step in the right direction. Following Christ involves following. A step towards Him starts this lifelong journey with Him.
One final thought about preparation. Isaiah invites us to “Prepare for GOD's arrival! Make the road straight and smooth, a highway fit for our God.” Is 40:3, The Message). To me that says: “Make it easier for other people to get to know God.” Not only are WE to prepare to follow Christ, but we should help (not hinder) OTHERS from following Him as well.