And so, Barbara and I want to wish that you will receive that most wonderful, tender, passionate gift of all... Jesus, God become flesh.
Another reason for Christmas is relationship. The Bible makes it clear that we have been created for relationship with God and with one another. When the relationships that form our lives are broken because of wrongful acts, genuine confession and loving forgiveness are the first steps toward repairing those relationships. This requires us to be honest with ourselves and with each other.
As members of God’s family we are called to represent Him in the world. Paul wrote: “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:20)”.
So, what is the point of celebrating Christmas if you don’t believe you have a responsibility to God, your family, and your neighbor to forgive everyone, and to be reconciled? Isn’t that the point of Christmas, to learn how to model the character of Christ and His ways in our dealing with one another, and to practice it daily?
When we do this, we do more than heal the hurting and bind the wounded. We do more than absolve guilt or relieve bitterness. In fact, we put God’s perfect love on display, a love that is deep, fair, just, and determined to move us toward His good desires for us.
One of my co-worker RNs confronted me not long ago about the way I displayed my un-forgiveness toward another. She said that I needed to let my hurt and disappointment go or I would not have peace. She said it was un-Christian like. WOW!
She said that if I would just tie that disputed situation to an” invisible balloon” and let it float away, I would be able to also extend forgiveness to the individual, be restored in my heart to them, and find new ways of loving them. I did what she said, and it worked! I forgot the situation because I acted in willful obedience to forgive and be restored.
We must be committed to making God visible as we live out His model for genuine restoration. Unfortunately the Christian church at large is fraught with those who say they believe, but fail to practice the simplest tenet of the faith, forgiveness and reconciliation. Many Christians are bogged down in their own past lives, thinking that what they lived in the past will always have an effect on them in the future. I believe that is a false perception of God’s innate ability to release us from the bondage of the past and present moments. I also believe that the way we act out our belief affects all of those who come in contact with us in the sense that they perceive the very thing we claim not to be....
As Christians we are not called to be deceptively “charitable”, giving to some what everyone should receive, forgiveness, mercy, grace, and restoration. No Christian has a right to withhold the free gift that God has given to us to give to others. That is evil, and it is wrong. If that is the kind of charity we practice then those closest to us, our children and grandchildren particularly, will begin to notice the obvious disparity, and will begin to question the veracity of God’s Christmas message. Such uncharitable acts must cease. God wants to fill us with love to give, not control.
So, if this Christmas you notice your charitable acts to be dependent on who acts charitably toward you, and you have willfully withheld charity towards those you don’t like, or won’t forgive, it is probably time you had a chat with the Christ King.
May your New Year be one filled with acts of unstoppable charity, forgiveness, reconciliation, and restoration, whenever possible.
Michael and Barbara Driskill
