It’s Christmas! Whee! It is the time of the year for ‘goodwill to man’, giving, and forgiving. The season when we remember the greatest gift of all – the birth of the Lord Jesus in a humble manger.
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.
John 3:16-17 [NIV]
It is often at this time of the year that we truly make time to thank God for giving us a Saviour so that we will not have to face eternal damnation. It is also at this time of the year that we decide that we should be nice to people, and we would go around with good wishes to friends and foes alike. We would forgive the mistakes of our acquaintances and declare our love for practically everyone we know.
The question is: Do we only do this during Christmas? Or do we also do all that for the rest of the 364 days in the year?
I was watching a Christmas-themed episode of the kids’ cartoon Kim Possible with my younger sister when the arch nemesis of Kim Possible, Dr Draken unexpectedly invited her to celebrate Christmas with him, declaring that “ ‘Tis the season for goodwill. I will declare a truce for the season and get my freak on after Christmas”.
As innocent as it may seem, it got me thinking: Are we, too, like Dr Draken, forgiving and making peace only during Christmas?
Forgiving people is an extremely difficult task for most people to do. It might be even harder than asking for forgiveness, especially when the hurt runs deep. Often we think that we have forgiven, but when the issue is brought up again, we can’t help but feel that prick of pain stabbing at our hearts again.
To forgive isn’t as simple as saying ‘It’s alright. I accept your apology. No big deal.” To forgive is to not be filled with hurt and rage each time you think about the incident. To forgive is to not hold anything against the person or persons involved. To forgive is to be able to call that person “friend” and truly care for him or her. To forgive is being able to look past the mistakes that were made and the hurt that was caused.
As impossible as it may seem, it is imperative that we learn to forgive, no matter what time of the year it is. The Bible too records Jesus teaching His disciples to forgive:
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
Matthew 18:21-22 [NIV]
Jesus Himself forgave the very people who persecuted Him as He hung dying on the cross. Overflowing with mercy and love, He asked the Father to not hold their sins against them, ‘for they do not know what they are doing’. If the Almighty God can forgive us of our sins, who are we to deny forgiveness to another, when we are nowhere near perfect ourselves?
It may not always be easy to sincerely say “I forgive you”, but then again, neither is it impossible. Ask the Lord to teach you and help you forgive others. Also ask Him to help you to do it all year round, not just during Christmas, for forgiveness should not and must not be confined to a short period of time each year. You will soon find that forgiving isn’t such a difficult thing to do after all. All it takes is the perfect love of God within us to guide and lead us.
Have a blessed Christmas as you remember and celebrate the true meaning of Christmas. :)
