‘Bearing with one another, and
forgiving one another.’ Colossians 3:13
For some people Christmas is
not a time of joy, but depression. In some cases it’s because their families
are fractured by divorce and their memories are painful. In their book, None of
These Diseases, S.I. McMillen and David Stern described the damage we inflict
on ourselves when we dislike someone or refuse to forgive them. ‘The moment I
begin to hate a man, I become his slave. He controls my thoughts. He controls
my feelings. He even controls my dreams. Stress hormones constantly surge
through my bloodstream and wear down my body…the one I hate hounds me wherever
I go.’ As your family gathers for Christmas, perhaps there’s a member you don’t
like or haven’t forgiven. If so, remember that Jesus came into the world to
love the unlovely and forgive the unworthy. The word ‘grace’ means ‘unearned,
unmerited, undeserved favour’. And Christ will flush the anger and resentment
out of your heart if you let Him. If you’re not looking forward to seeing
someone in your family this Christmas, offer this prayer: ‘Lord, I confess that
I don’t like _______ and I’m dreading being with them. Help me to forgive and
show grace. Let the love of Christ flow through me this Christmas. In Jesus’
name I pray. Amen.’ You say, ‘But they don’t deserve to be forgiven.’ Yes, and
neither did you deserve God’s love and forgiveness either. Jesus said, ‘Love
your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray
for those who hurt you...Do to others as you would like them to do to you’
(Luke 6:27-28, 31 NLT). That’s the Christmas spirit!
No comments:
Post a Comment