This is the season of exchanging of gifts. Every Christmas many friends, relatives and neighbors exchange Christmas gifts in celebration of Christmas. About October of every year we begin to talk about our gift exchange. My wife asks me every year what I would like to have for Christmas. My usual answer is “I have no idea.” I usually follow up with the same question to her and her answer is the same as mine, “I have no idea.”
Gift exchanges are a lot of fun however; sometimes the gifts we exchange with one another are not always practical. For example, I had a friend who one year bought his wife a welder. He said she will never use it but I will. We laugh about it together but as you can imagine, it was not a practical gift for a lady who had no interest whatsoever in welding.
The thought crossed my mind the other day about the gift exchange of forgiveness. “And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him … Then said Jesus, Father forgive them, for they know not what they do … ” Luke 23: 33-34. Jesus gave us the gift of forgiveness of our sins. There he gave his life that we might have the gift of salvation.
I believe one of the greatest gift exchanges we can give to one another is the gift of forgiveness. If I have wrong feelings in my heart toward another person and they have wrong feelings against me, what more beautiful and practical gift is there than to forgive one another.
“Forgive our debts as we forgive our debtors,” Matthew 6:12. It is the gift that keeps on giving, day after day, year after year. It is a gift to yourself and a gift to the other person. There is nothing more satisfying than to be at peace with one another.
“He who cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself.” — George Herbert.
Make this the greatest Christmas gift ever. Accept the gift of salvation and receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
“Repent ye, therefore, and be converted that your sins may be blotted out.” Acts 3:19. “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,” Matthew 6:14.
THINK ABOUT IT!
(If you would like to order my new book THINK ABOUT IT please send check or money order in the amount of $13.45, which includes tax and postage, for each book payable to George Hazlett c/o Farm & Dairy, P.O. Box 38, Salem, Ohio 44460.)
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