"God and Sinners Reconciled"

Hark the herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn king"
Peace on earth, and mercy mild - God and sinners reconciled
Joyful all ye nations rise. Join the triumph of the skies.

Christmas is a time to celebrate the gift of reconciliation. The whole purpose of Jesus coming to earth as a human baby was to bring reconciliation to God and humanity. Christmas is a gift of connection; of joining our needs with His supply; of bringing our loneliness to his comforting Presence. Christmas is the solution to the problem in Eden, when the great divide occurred between God and humanity. Christmas is “God and sinners reconciled.”

What a beautiful thought… God becoming man so that we can become divine; heirs of the King of Kings; companions of our Creator throughout eternity; free from the bondage of the sin that dominates our broken world. It is a gift beyond measure with an incomprehensible value.

Like any gift, it is only ours when we accept it.

So, do you want the gift?

It seems so simple. Of course we would want to be with God throughout eternity. Certainly we want freedom. As parents, we pray for our kids to accept this gift of immeasurable worth. But, do we really accept the gift, or just talk about it? Describe it? Read about it?

William Wallace wrote a poem in the 1800s championing the power and beauty of motherhood, but it applies to our homes today. The refrain will be familiar to you… “The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.” As parents, we hold the power to change the world by raising our children to understand the reconciliation that Jesus came to bring. Its primary purpose may have been to reconcile God and humanity, however, if we cannot bring ourselves to reconcile with one another, we have essentially rejected the gift.

If our kids are to take seriously the offer of reconciling with God, they must witness reconciliation, in its purest form, in our homes. Our unbridled tongue, our judgmental words, our lashing out in an emotional outburst, our unkindness, our refusal to accept an apology, our insistence to hang on to our bitterness as if it were a badge of honor… all these are indications that we are refusing the gift of Christmas, reconciliation with God. If this is what they see, they will not ever grasp the reconciliation that God has for us.

This Christmas, can we just let go of the heavy baggage of resentment that we proudly wear like an ugly Christmas sweater?  Can we rise above the tendency to bear grudges? Can we demonstrate love for everyone, no matter what, so that they can see the transformation that comes when we are truly reconciled with God? Scripture tells us that before we can be truly reconciled to God, we must be willing to be reconciled to one another.

Make this a Christmas to remember by unwrapping that gift of “God and sinner reconciled” and find true “peace on earth” and at home.

Demonstrate What You Celebrate!