Christmas Is Forgiving, Pt.3

You must make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. (Colossians 3:13 NLT)

You know in most families there is that ONE RELATIVE that everybody seems to have a difficult time being around. You know who it is, you don’t like to talk about it, but we all know who it is. If you are thinking, “GEE, I DON’T KNOW WHO IT IS, I DON’T THINK WE HAVE ONE”; I AM SORRY TO TELL YOU BUT YOU ARE THAT PERSON:-) (just kidding)

But seriously, maybe its mom who is a CONTROL FREAK, Dad who is a DRUNK; Uncle Joe who just got out of PRISON, but probably needs to go back in; GRANDMA who won’t take care of herself; or that relative who ABUSED YOU and you can’t get over it, you will never forgive (and now your family RESENTS you for making THINGS DIFFICULT); maybe it is YOUR EX-SPOUSE, maybe it’s that child who didn’t grow up the way you dreamed and now you FEEL LIKE A FAILURE AND CAN’T FORGIVE YOURSELF.

Maybe every FAMILY GATHERING is a REMINDER THAT YOU ARE a FAILURE and YOUR FAMILY IS FRACTURED OR MAYBE ITS EVEN WORSE, EVERYBODY HIDES FROM EACH OTHER – NOBODY REALLY ACKNOWLEDGES EACH OTHER, EVERYBODY HAS THEIR HOLIDAY MASK ON – PRETENDING EVERYTHING IS FINE AND THEY HAVE IT ALL TOGETHER. Nobody deals with anything, and every issue, every GRUDGE IS SWEPT UNDER THE CHRISTMAS TREE. Every HURT IS WRAPPED WITH A BOW & STUFFED DEEPER & DEEPER INTO THE AVOIDANCE BOX.  Because the past is so painful we just try and ignore it, suppress it, and pretend its not there.

But if we avoid pain, we avoid progress.  If we ignore the issues, we avoid intimacy in our family and relationships.

Honesty paves the way to intimacy!  Stop hiding, peel back the pain, and start addressing the issues.

You can’t strive for the future if you are stuck in the past!  If you can’t forgive, then you can’t be healed!

You must make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. (Colossians 3:13 NLT)