Understanding the value of family around the holidays is vital to get through them. In life, we often spend so much time holding on to grudges and offenses. As life goes on, those we love will leave us. For many people, the holidays are not easy to get through. We miss the people we have lost along the way. It is important to realize our families may not be perfect, and the offenses can be deep wounds, but life is short. Sometimes it’s hard to realize how much value a person adds to our life because of the hurt they have caused.
We have to remember the people in our lives are not perfect and they are hurt too. Sometimes not being able to see through the lens of their brokenness causes the issues we have with them. The holidays are a time to celebrate the love we have for our family.
Have I been perfect at honoring Christmas love? No, and most of us have not been perfect at it. There are even some of us who opt out of celebrating the holidays because it is a reminder of all those who are no longer with us. Some of us do not celebrate because we are too stuck in the past offenses we have experienced from loved ones. The holidays do not have to be a time of pain and grief. It can be the opportunity to create new memories. It can be a time to love on those we still have in our lives. We can use it as a time to celebrate with the new friends that we have made.
It may take some serious effort on our part. We may have to pray that God gives us the grace to connect with others and experience the love of Christmas. Opening our hearts up to love helps others to effectively love us.
Christmas is a time of love. We live in a world where our hearts are closed yet we have a dire need to be loved. You cannot put anything in a closed fist. Whether it’s the holidays or not we need to open ourselves up to be loved and come out of our pain.
The heart of Christmas is celebrating the birth of God’s love for us. Jesus was birthed to be crucified because of God’s love for us. He had to be birth to later give His life up for us. No matter how much hurt you have, remember that He came into this world for you and me. He came to be crucified, later be resurrected, so He could save so many of us for many generations to come.
Christmas love is found in remembering that God had to send His Son to later be sacrificed in our place. God loved us so much He gave His beloved Son and sacrificial Lamb to become sin in our place (John 3:16). A debt we can never repay. His birth is true Christmas love.
Let all that you do be done with love (2 Corinthians 16:14)
Resilient Inspired Spiritual Excellence R.I.S.E. 