No, God knew before
you were born that you would be here in this moment. He planned to get your
attention for just a few seconds so He could say this to you:
“ I've seen every hurt in your life, and I've never stopped
loving you. You matter to me. I love you more than you will ever know. I made
you to love you, and I've been waiting for you to love me back.”
God is saying,
“I want the rest of your life to be the best of your life. I’m with you, and
I’m for you. I want to save you from your past. I want to save you for the
purpose for which I made you. And I want to save you by my grace. If you’ll let
me do that, I will give you peace with me, peace of me, and peace with other
people. But you have to open the door and receive the Christmas gift.”
If you gave me a
Christmas gift and I never opened it, you would be disappointed. And it would
be a worthless gift, because
I don’t receive the benefit of a gift I never
opened.
Jesus Christ is
God’s Christmas gift to you. Yet some of us have gone Christmas after Christmas
and never opened the best gift of all: God’s gift of salvation. Why even
celebrate Christmas if you’re not going to open the biggest gift? It doesn’t
make sense to leave unwrapped the gift of your past forgiven, a purpose for
living, and a home in Heaven.
Jesus Christ
says to you, “I can replace the frustration in your heart with peace. I can
replace the guilt, resentment, shame, and grudges with forgiveness. I can
replace the worry and anxiety with confidence and faith. I can replace
depression or despair with hope. I can replace emptiness with meaning and
purpose. I can replace confusion with clarity. But I’m not going to break down
the door of your heart. You have to invite me in.
“It makes no
difference who you are or where you’re from. If you want me and you are ready
to do as I say, the door is open.”
It doesn’t matter what your religious background is –
Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, Mormon, Buddhist, Baptist, Hindu, or no
religion. This is not about religion. God didn’t send Jesus to give you
religion. He sent him so you could have a personal relationship with God. It’s
all about relationship.
Below is a
prayer I prayed years ago when I stepped across the line and became a friend of
God’s. It’s a pretty simple prayer. If these words express the desire in your
heart, read them as if you are talking to God.
Prayer:
Dear God, I’m scared, but I want to get to know you. I don’t understand it all,
but I thank you that you love me. I thank you that you were with me even when I
didn’t recognize it. I thank you that you are for me, that you didn’t send Jesus to
condemn me but to save me.
I admit I never
even realized I needed a Savior, but today I want to receive the Christmas gift
of your Son. I ask you to save me from my past, my regrets, my mistakes, my
sins, my habits, my hurts, and my hang-ups. Save me from myself.
I ask you to
save me for your purpose. I want to know why you put me on this planet. And I
want to fulfill what you made me to do. I want to learn to love you and trust
you and have a relationship with you.
I need peace
with you, God, and I need you to put your peace in my heart. I need you to take
away the stress and fill me with your love. Help me be a peacemaker and help
others find peace with you and each other. In your name I pray, amen.
(Written by Rick Warren)
Merry Christmas to you..
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