saving us from ourselves
Every year, right after Thanksgiving, we dive into a long weekend of promises. Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday all insist that something out there can make life easier, lighter, more manageable. A new appliance to save time. A robot vacuum to rescue us from messes. A planner that claims it can organize the chaos. Even a stronger cup of coffee that might carry us through the day.
We all look for something that can save us. And we do it without thinking.
It makes sense. Life is heavy. We feel pressure at work. We feel tension at home. We feel the ache in our world. So we latch onto anything that might offer relief, even if it only lasts a few hours.
But every year, after the sales pass and the boxes get opened, most of us feel the same thing. A small lift, maybe. But not the rescue we hoped for.
That’s not a modern problem. It’s an ancient one.
the first time we tried to save ourselves
The story of Adam and Eve is not just an origin story. It’s a mirror. They wanted wisdom on their own terms. They wanted independence. They wanted to build a life without needing God’s voice or God’s way.
And if we’re honest, that is still us.
The serpent whispered, “You don’t need God to live a full life.” That same lie still whispers today in a hundred modern ways.
You can figure this out.
You can handle it.
You can be enough.
But the story shows what happens when we choose independence over relationship. It shows how quickly things unravel. And it shows a God who sees that unraveling and responds with surprising mercy.
He warns.
He searches.
He covers their shame.
He places them on a path where they can still learn, still grow, still find Him.
And even after their failure, He promises something more. Someone more.
the story the whole bible keeps telling
Every story in Scripture is a story of people trying to live without God and the God who keeps coming after them. Not in anger. In love.
We see His patience in Abraham’s doubt.
His compassion in Israel’s cries.
His forgiveness in David’s failures.
His nearness in the prophets’ exhaustion.
And then, when the world had tried every other way to save itself, Jesus came.
Not as a warrior. Not as a political leader. Not as a tool of convenience. But as a Savior who meets us where we are and offers what nothing else can: the life we were made for.
why christmas matters in all of this
Christmas isn’t just a tradition to mark on the calendar. It is the moment the promise becomes a person.
The birth of Jesus is God saying, “You cannot save yourselves, but I can, and I will.” It is God stepping into our ache, our confusion, our fears, and offering life at its fullest.
Not the life offered by the weekend sales. Not the life promised by a politician, a self-improvement plan, or a better routine. But life that begins in the heart and moves outward into everything else.
Jesus doesn’t save us by pulling us out of our humanity. He saves us by stepping into it.
when we receive what he offers
When people encounter Jesus, things shift. Sometimes slowly. Sometimes all at once. But real change begins.
Peace replaces panic.
Grace softens shame.
Strength grows where weakness lived.
Hope rises where cynicism felt safer.
And this isn’t theory. It’s experience.
Jesus Himself said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
(John 10:10)
And the invitation is not complicated. It isn’t a checklist or a ritual. It starts with a heart that whispers, even quietly, “God, I want You in my life.”
That simple act of trust begins to open the space where real rescue can happen.
a small reflection as the season begins
As December starts and the noise of the season grows, maybe pause long enough to ask:
What am I looking to rescue today?
Where am I trying to save myself?
What would it look like to trust God in that place instead?
scripture to carry with you
“The lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer... my shield and the strength of my salvation.” psalm 18:2
questions for reflection
Where do you notice yourself reaching for quick fixes or “modern saviors”?
What part of your life feels hardest to trust in God right now?
When you think about Jesus as a Savior, what stands out to you this year?
Paige Peacock Vanosky brings a deeply personal and communal approach to biblical teaching, influenced by her formative years under the mentorship of Dr. Buckner Fanning at Trinity Baptist Church in San Antonio.
Her foundational principle - drawing circles instead of lines - has shaped her ministry and led to the creation of a Bible study that embraces diverse religious perspectives. This study laid the groundwork for The 30-Minute Bible, designed to provide an objective and approachable exploration of the Bible's narratives, making the text accessible to seekers and believers from all walks of life.