"God our Savior showed us how good and kind He is. He saved us because of His mercy, and not because of any good things that we have done." – Titus 3:4-5
Reflection:
You've heard it before, and so have I: there is a naughty and a nice list created by Santa. And "you better watch out” because "Santa Claus is coming to town."
Now, I'm not equating Santa with Christ. That's not the point. I'm actually wondering if you've ever had the feeling that nearly everything is conditional. I mean, if you want to be truly happy, then buy the latest Samsung Galaxy phone, right? If you want to be stress-free, take this exotic vacation. And if you want to be slim and trim, drink this fat-dissolving concoction.
You get the picture.
But the really amazing fact about Christmas and God's Son's arrival on Earth as a newborn baby is that there were, and are, no strings attached. We don't have to be good enough to be accepted into the family of God. We can't! And we can never rack up enough points to earn it either.
So, if we can't be good enough, and if we keep failing at trying to be acceptable in God's eyes, what's left? A dead-end?
The answer is surprisingly simple. So simple it's easy to miss. Jesus urges us to come as a little child and fall on His mercy and grace. There, we open our hearts to receive His unconditional love and forgiveness. He alone holds the power to transform us out of our darkness and into His Light and Life.
It's a gift, plain and simple. And it's ours for the receiving.
Ah, yes, the reason we give gifts to each other—a reminder of God's best Gift of all time: the Lord Jesus Christ. Mind-boggling, absolutely!
Grateful for God's goodness and kindness to humankind!
A blessed Christmas Season for you, dear reader-friend,
Beverly Lewis
