Christmas is a time to remember and be thankful that Jesus came to the earth to die for our sins. It’s a time to reflect on what Jesus did for us. This year God has reminded me of another important part of the Christmas story- I am completely unworthy of what He did. I am a mess and a sinner, and in spite of all that Jesus still came to the earth. I was, and still am, so undeserving of that gift.
Romans 5:8 tells us that, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God is really showing me the beauty of this verse this Christmas season. That in spite of everything I’ve done (and everything I will do), He still loved me that much. Even more than that, is what do I do with the fact that God loves me that much.
Knowing that God loved me, when I treated Him like that, challenges me to re-examine how I treat others. Christmas should be an easy time to love people. Isn’t the season supposed to be all about joy, love, and giving? Yet just this week I read about someone that saw two fights while leaving a parking lot.
While I haven’t got in any fist fights, God has challenged me about how I love people. The biggest thing that He has challenged me about is about how his love is never-ending. *insert Reckless Love audio here*
That is the toughest part. How do I continue to love someone who continues to wrong me or mess up? Yet God commands us to (see John 15:12). Knowing that doesn’t make it any easier though. Just this week Angela and I were reflecting about this. We have a friend that was a tough person to love at times. There were times that they were amazing, caring, and extremely thoughtful. But there were other times that we wanted to slam our heads into the wall. There was even a point that we considered cutting the line and walking away from them. God convicted us and challenged us to just pour out love.
Since that point, it‘s been amazing to see the transformation, not just in their life but in ours as well. I’m not saying it was easy, but it was powerful. The story isn’t over, but I’m determined to continue it with love. God didn’t run from us when we were (and still are) sinners. He pursued us. What if we treated others like that? How powerful is it when we lovingly pursue those that wrong us? This Christmas I pray that God would challenge you with that as He has challenged me.
until next time…