Christmas and Love

For me, Christmas is more synonymous with love than with gifts. During this special time we remember the great love God the Father had for us in sending us His Son, Jesus to redeem us from our sins.  Jesus is the God-Man, both fully God and fully man, else He would not have  been able to do for us what we could not do for ourselves--save us from our sins.  He lived the perfect life, fulfilling all the law for us without sin, and he died for us, shedding His blood redeeming us from our sins, and then He rose again that He might give us the victory over the grave.  Awesome love.

I have thought about that a lot this week.  I have asked myself, do I love others like I should?  If I answer honestly, it is no, I do not.  Have you noticed that sometimes it is much much easier to love those who are not believers?   I suppose we make allowances for them since they do have the power of Christ living in them.  Perhaps we expect too much of fellow believers; we expect them to live a certain way, and when they fail, we are quick to judge.  It should not be that way.  Christians have two natures living side by side, the old Adam and the new creation.   I don't know about you, but I find at times a war going on between the Old Adam with its sin nature, and the new man who longs to live for Christ.  I don't aways win the war, but I know Christ forgives me.  Is that an excuse to sin, to judge fellow believers?  No, as Paul so aptly says, "What shall we say then?  Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?  God forbid..." (Romans 6)

What made me think of this?  A clerk at a local grocery story had a button on that said, "Ask me for the Reason for the Season?"  I assumed she must be a Christian, and she was trying to witness with her button.  The fellow in front of me had been quite obnoxious with this woman, and at one point I guess the poor clerk had enough, and let slip an unkind remark.  I found myself frustrated and thinking to myself, "How is that a witness to this obvious unbeliever."  Then I realized would I have acted any better?   Probably not.  I expected more from her. 

This Christmas season, when I find people getting short tempered and frustrated, I pray that I remember to show love to them all, believers and non-believers alike, Lord-willing as Christ gives me strength.

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