Dec 8, 2009 - Category: General

Give Yourself a Christmas Present

Christmas is a time of great joy. What better way to close out each year than with celebrations of Jesus. The birth announcement given to the shepherds proclaimed joy at the birth of the Savior.

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” (Like 2:8-11 NIV).

Christmas has always been a time of joy in my family, as I was growing up and now as an adult and a parent. The decorations, the tree, the songs and the Christmas story and the presents all make for a joyful celebration. But above all the Christmas story of Jesus’ birth makes this time of the year joyous.

I am learning though that not everyone has experienced the joy of Christmas that I have. Not everyone has childhood and adult memories of times with family and friends filled with celebration and joy. I am discovering that many people find Christmas to be anything but joyful. Many remember times of hurt, disappointment and loneliness at Christmas time.

For some Christmas may be the saddest time of the year. This ought not to be, but it is. The message of the angels of good news of great joy for all people has not been their experience. They are plagued by the bad things that happened to them.

If you are one of those who have suffered hurt and disappointment, I encourage you to give yourself a gift this Christmas. It is not a gift you can buy. It is not really a gift you can keep. It is a gift that you give to those who have hurt you and wronged you.
The gift is forgiveness.

Just the thought of forgiving may cause a negative reaction in you. You may ask why should I forgive those who have not asked, changed or deserved forgiving. The answer is that forgiveness is more for you than it is for them. Jesus came to forgive us when we did not deserve it or even ask for it. But he forgave.

Forgiveness is not about how you feel. Forgiveness is a choice you make. If you forgive by an act of your will, your feelings will fall in line with that act. Even if you do not feel like forgiving you can release forgiveness to those who have hurt you. This forgiveness is a transaction between you and God, not between you and the other person. You do not have to confront them or even tell them you have forgiven them.
Just talk to God and ask him to help you forgive.

One way to do this is to say something like this: “God based on your word and by the power of your Holy Spirit, I release forgiveness to this person. I know that you tell me to forgive others as you have forgiven me, so I forgive them.”

Sometimes people say, “I can forgive but I can’t forget.” I have often heard it said that God forgives and forgets and so should we. But as I looked in the Bible to find where God forgets our sins, what I found startled me. Hebrews 8:12 says, “I will remember their sins no more.” It appears that God chooses not to remember that which he has forgiven. The same can be true for you and me as well.

I am not sure that is really possible for us to forget. But we can choose not to remember. If after forgiving someone the things that they did come back to your mind, put them aside as quickly as possible. Do not dwell on them. Reaffirm the forgiveness that you have already released and move on.

This could be the Christmas when joy returns. This could be the first Christmas in which past hurts are not given a place to stand. This could be for you and for me a Christmas of great joy. I pray that it will be.