The day after Christmas

I hope your Christmas was as good as the one my family enjoyed. Despite some colds we managed to have a very enjoyable Christmas holiday with family. We ate way too much good food, exchanged some great gifts, and shared some wonderful stories.

I also pray that you've enjoyed our church's Advent devotions that were posted on this site during the past three weeks. Since the church does not currently have a blog of its own we used this blog to post the devotionals. We then linked the post to our church's Facebook page and invited our congregation to follow them. You got the benefit of some thought-provoking devotionals, some written by me and others written by members of our church. With today's post we return to our normal posts written by me.

Let's not lose the theme of the previous devotionals now that Advent is past. That theme was reconciliation. It was our church's theme throughout the Advent season because this is why Christ was born. He came into the world to reconcile us with God, with one another, and with ourselves. Some who are reading this post need that reconciliation, and I urge you to not let this year end without seeking the reconciliation you need.

We all need to be reconciled to God. Scripture is clear that we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. It is equally clear that our sins have separated us from the relationship with God we each were created to enjoy. It is only through receiving Jesus Christ into our lives as our Lord and Savior can our sins be forgiven and we are able to be reconciled to God.

The second area of reconciliation is between us and our fellow human beings. Some of us carry bitterness and anger towards other people. Reconciliation does not ignore the pain they perhaps have caused us, but it does require that we forgive them and seek to enter into a healthy relationship with them. Perhaps such a relationship is not possible. In such cases we still need to forgive them and move on with our lives.

The third area of reconciliation that some of us need is with ourselves. Many people today struggle trying to forgive themselves for mistakes they've made in the past. Some carry tremendous amounts of guilt for the past, and that guilt makes it impossible for them to enjoy the present or plan for the future. The devil has deceived some into believing they cannot be forgiven and they must carry their burden of guilt forever.

The truth is God loves us and is willing to forgive us of any sins that might be in our past, and if He can forgive us we can also forgive ourselves. We do not have to carry that burden any longer. We can lay it at His feet when we invite Him into our lives. If you need help in knowing how to pray to do that, please send me a personal message, and I'll be glad to lead you through such a prayer.

Christmas is over, and we are fast approaching a new year. Do not begin 2018 without seeking the reconciliation you need. It is available to everyone reading this blog. Yes...it's even available to you.