Christmas is all about genuine love. We give presents to people we love.
We feast with our loved ones. We share stories from the past and we have
a good laugh.
It is easy to love those who love us.
Unfortunately, it's much harder to love our arch enemies! Still we are
encouraged to accept Jesus' challenge: "I'm challenging that. I'm
telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you,
not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the
energies of prayer." (Matthew 5:44 MSG)
During Christmas, we have
an opportunity to set things right. Invite your enemies to your home and
welcome them with open arms. They will be quite surprised. Even those
enemies who decline your invitation will be left wondering, and some
seeds towards improving your relationship will have been sown. Christmas
is, after all, all about love, not hate! Jesus came to earth so that we
could experience what true forgiveness looks like!
There is
another category of people who deserve love as well: the poor. None of
them have the means to buy gifts for their loved ones. Imagine inviting
them in your home and welcoming them open arms. Your home will feel more
festive, and these poor ones will experience what real love looks like.
We are urged, after all, that: "The only additional thing they asked was
that we remember the poor, and I was already eager to do that."
(Galatians 2:10 MSG)
Christmas will become grandiose if we follow
in the footsteps of Jesus: "If any of you wants to serve me, then follow
me. Then you'll be where I am, ready to serve at a moment's notice. The
Father will honor and reward anyone who serves me." (John 12:26 MSG)
"Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you
did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was
me-you did it to me.'" (Matthew 25:40 MSG)
While we were visiting
Cap-Blanc-Nez, nearby Boulogne-Sur-Mer in France, we ventured out onto
the beach. We wanted to take a picture of the beautiful cliffs from the
waterfront, and to do so, we would have to go way out onto the sand.
Fortunately for us, the tide was out; it was windy, however, and the
North Sea had produced some rivers of water in the sand. In fact, there
was more wet sand than dry.
We challenged ourselves to try and stay dry without needing to take off
our shoes, and this proved to be a challenge that was difficult to
accomplish. Eventually I became separated from my wife. She crossed the
"North Sea River" at a spot that was just a little too wide for me.
Unfortunately, it was the narrowest spot! We tried for over half-an-hour
to once again find ourselves on the same side of the "River" before we
finally experienced success.
In life, there will always be things
that hinder us from showing that genuine love that comes from our
Heavenly Father. Remember how the Pharisees and Sadducees mocked Jesus
when He healed the needy ones? Remember how this didn't stop Him from
continuing to show them love?
And it should not stop us either!
Those rivers of adversity may look quite wide, but may we always
remember that: "The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in
the world." (1John 4:4b, NIV2) God will help us jump over these wide
rivers, and if we put our trust in Him, nothing will stop us from
experiencing genuine love, the same love Jesus showed to the early
Christians: "While they were praying, the place where they were meeting
trembled and shook. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and
continued to speak God's Word with fearless confidence." (Acts 4:31 MSG)
When we let our Heavenly Father be our guide, nothing will stop us.
We will demonstrate, with fearless determination, what Christmas truly
is all about!
Merry Christmas, by the way!
Rob Chaffart
