The season of Christmas, is a time for us to draw closer to one another as family and friends. It's a time we celebrate together. Don't let unforgiveness hinder your happiness & joy this season. Jesus Christ was born into this world for this very reason: to reconcile humanity to Himself. To give us a way to be forgiven and to forgive others, through his great love.

Psalm 130:3 If You, Lord, should keep account of and treat [us according to our] sins, O Lord, who could stand:4 But there is forgiveness with You [just what humankind needs], that You may be reverently feared and worshiped. (AMP)

Do we deserve forgiveness? Not really. But I just love the fact that God forgives us anyway.

When the Lord asks us to forgive the people who have hurt us; do they always deserve forgiveness for what they have done? - Not really. - When God grants us forgiveness as we hurt God and sin against God time and time again, do we deserve forgiveness? - Not really. Yet we can receive forgiveness because of God’s great love for us.
We may not feel that those who have hurt us deserve our forgiveness, but through the blood of Christ we can forgive them in faith.
The decision to forgive is always a faith step, without the forgiveness of sins, there is no victory in our lives and we are no better off.

If we can hold onto the truth that forgiveness is not a feeling but a choice, it will help us to overcome our struggle against un-forgiveness. Our choice is made in a faith realm of the freedom that God promises us when we forgive one another. God’s love is contagious, but so is bitterness and anger if we harbour unforigiveness. - What will come out from inside you this Christmas with family and friends? Will it be forgiveness and love? Remember the Lord God has forgiven & forgotten our wrongdoing and we are called to do the same with one another.

Un-forgiveness usurps the fruit of the Spirit in our lives because it takes root in our lives if it is not given to God. The root forms our attitudes to life and to other people.
Holding onto un-forgiveness is not punishment to the person that has hurt you, it is punishment to yourself! They have power over you whilst you hold onto your pain. It is releasing your pain to the Lord through forgiveness that releases you from the hurt they have caused you.   

May you move into this Christmas season with the joy of the Lord on your heart and may God's peace become more real to you than ever before as you celebrate in love with those most special to you surrounding you.

Happy Christmas and a blessed new year!

Rev. Deborah Bell

We can conclude that:
•    Forgiveness is always a proof of God’s love.
•    Forgiveness always ushers in more of God’s love.
•    Forgiveness allows us to love others with God’s love in spite of their wrongdoing, and in turn allows others to love us in spite of our wrongdoing.  That is the gift of God’s love if we will take it and embrace the principle of forgiveness in our own lives.

I love the (MSG) version:
Psa 130:3-4  If you, GOD, kept records on wrongdoings, who would stand a chance?  (4)  As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit, and that's why you're worshiped.

Making forgiveness our habit
Let’s make forgiveness our habit in 2009. The more we forgive people, the more of God’s character and love we adopt into our own lives.
Let’s say: “Today I will not harbour malice, or resentment, as my habit but today I will forgive and be forgiven.” “No longer will I let my anger be my habit, but forgiveness”
“So is the love that the Lord has lavished on me, so I must do the same.”   
The word lavish means: extravagantly, excessively, abundantly, generously...

Let us love one another extravangantly, excessively, abundantly and generously in this season of God's love. 
 

Blessings and love

Rev. Deborah Bell