The Joy Of Regret Transformed
Monday December 21, 2015
At this time of year, as we prepare our hearts for the celebration of Christ’s birth, some of us may have regrets about Christmases in our past. Dysfunctional families, addiction, poverty and loneliness have been part of our story. However, the promised salvation for all, regardless of the many disappointments people may have experienced, is Jesus. God knows all about our past, and knows where we are today. Christmas is a time to remember that God gave His son Jesus to be with us. Jesus is known as Immanuel, God with us.
Hundreds of years before Jesus was born the prophet Isaiah prophesied, “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.” (Isaiah 9:2 NLT) We are the people on whom the light is now shining and for whom this great prophesy has been fulfilled.
At times, life may have seemed unmanageable, and we were faced with our powerlessness to do anything about it. We felt unnoticed and resolved that no one really understood or cared about us. The truth is, God sees us, God understands us, and God cares about us. The birth of Jesus Christ loudly conveys this message. Jesus, through His humanity, entered into our human experiences and personally can identify with our pain. He is able to sympathize with our weaknesses. He truly is Immanuel, God with us. Jesus went to the cross to bear our sorrow, our sin, our suffering, and our sadness – He endured the pain we felt when others disappointed and harmed us. He also bore the pain we feel because of those we have let down and wounded.
This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. (John 3:16-17 MSG) God’s invitation to us today is to turn all our regrets over to Jesus and let Him put things right in our hearts and in our relationships. What a great gift exchange for us to enter into this year – our painful past for God’s purposeful future. This is the gift that Christmas offers to each one of us again this year.
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