Merry Christmas! What a great day to worship the Lord. It is Sunday and the birthday of Jesus Christ. I watched the movie, I can only Imagine, again last night which chronicles the life of the songwriter, Bart Millard, and how it led him to write this amazing song.
He was badly beaten and abused by his dad as a youngster and told he would never amount to anything, and he hated his dad, but after his son left, his father, who was remorseful for what he had done in life, especially to his son, turned to Jesus and his life was transformed and he was wonderfully saved. The songwriter went back home, and his dad revealed that he had turned to God and was reading the Bible and listening to sermons on the radio, but the son wasn’t buying it until his dad asked him the question, “If God can forgive all these other people for the bad things they have done, why not me?”
It struck a chord with his son who said God would forgive him, but he couldn’t. He subsequently discovered his father who developed pancreatic cancer was dying and God touched him to forgive, and he did and went on to form a relationship whereby his dad became his best friend before dying. This inspired his song which I could listen to a thousand times over and never get tired of hearing it. He dedicated the song to his dad, and it has sold more Christian records than any other and went triple platinum.
No matter what we have done, God can forgive us. He is the embodiment of love, mercy, and compassion. We cannot know what lies ahead for those of us who love Him, we can only imagine.
Have a wonderful time today. If you hold a grudge against someone, now would be an ideal time to forgive them and start next year devoid of that all-consuming bitterness and hate. I regret not being able to achieve that with my own abusive father prior to his passing and wish I would have, (could have), forgiven him and forgotten, but alas it is too late now. I suppose I am relegated to sharing my mistake and hoping, and praying that anyone who hates someone, even though they greatly wronged them, be filled with love like our Savior’s.
Christmas to me is about Christ leaving His throne and coming to forgive all of us who accept His sacrifice. Jesus was greatly wronged through our sins, (which is so serious that He had to die a horrible death which was the only path to redemption for us). He gladly did it because He loves us, and He wants and commands us to do likewise with those who have wronged us. Love all – Serve all my friends . . . It is the right thing to do . . .
Luke 2:11
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
Enjoy your Christmas and enjoy your family and friends.