Month: December 2021

The Unopened Christmas Present

/ Virginia / Leave a comment

This afternoon our Christmas plans fell apart. Rather than being six for dinner tomorrow, it will just be the two of us. I know that we’re not the only ones. People across the country–and probably across the globe–are facing similar issues, whether it is because of flight cancellations, virus concerns, or lockdowns.

As a result of our change in plans, we will have an unopened Christmas present under our tree. It has me wondering how many others will have similar unopened gifts. Will we mail it next week, keep it until the next time we see the recipient, or simply save it until next year?

For many of us, Jesus is the unopened gift under our Christmas tree. We have delayed opening His gift for many reasons. Perhaps we have decided to wait until another day, or we’re too busy to think about Him now, or we have completely forgotten about Him.

This gift from Jesus, however, is the most amazing gift we can ever imagine. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, we become children of God (Ephesians 1:4), we have a home in heaven (John 14:2-3), our sins are forgiven (Matthew 26:28), we are reconciled with God (Romans 5:10-11), and we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit living inside us (2 Corinthians 5:5). All of these gifts (and many more) are ours, if we only unwrap His gift and accept it as our own.

I hope this will be the Christmas that you open the wonderful gift Jesus offers to each of us. I promise that it is the best gift you will ever receive. Merry Christmas to you and yours!

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through Him.” (John 3:16-17)

Watch the “That’s what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown” excerpt from A Charlie Brown Christmas by Charles M. Schulz

Why Forgive?

/ Virginia / Leave a comment

Forgiveness is a cornerstone of the Christian faith, but it is often difficult for us to embrace. A retired pastor at our church offered this prayer about forgiveness a few Sundays ago. It was so compelling that I wanted to share it with each of you. Thank you, Pastor Greg for allowing me to reprint it.

Dear God, Help us to realize that forgiveness is necessary in order for us to have personal peace and happiness. Help us to love ourselves enough not to hold grudges. Show us how to be understanding when others refuse to forgive out of their sense of deep pain or from anger, jealousy, or resentment, or because of a desire for revenge, or because they think it’s socially unacceptable to do so, or due to pride, or because it is just easier to cut someone out of one’s life.

Remind us of the consequences of our refusal to forgive: We become led by our anger, pain, or hatred. We are directed by negative memories. We do not act freely. We are pressured by lives of tension and stress. We shorten our lives. Our relationships with others becomes strained. We feel unrelieved guilt. We live with a poor sense of self-worth. And our relationship with You, O God, is weakened.

Help us to see that forgiving is an empowered form of giving wherein we are called to remain open and giving even in the midst of our hurt, pain, anger, and frustration.

Help us to be other-centered by looking at the one in need of forgiveness instead of at our wounds.

Teach us that forgiveness is an invitation to someone to recognize himself or herself as a person of great worth and value, and, thus, as someone worth redeeming. Show us the importance of showing those who have hurt us that they are more than the painful thing they did.

Remind us, Father, that as deep as our pain may be when we have been wronged, that there is a strength and comfort that goes beneath the pain.

Enable us to have the attitude of Jesus in forgiveness, Father. As He forgave because He was truly free, so may we. As He was unconcerned with losing face or with being hurt again or with putting others on probation for hurting Him the first time, may our forgiveness also be an unconditional display of love and acceptance offered with no strings attached.

We pray this in the name of Jesus, who not only taught us about forgiveness but who actively showed us how to practice it. Amen

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked,

“Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me?

Up to seven times?”

Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

(Matthew 18:21-22)