The song, O Holy Night, holiday lights, laughter, and warm memories fill the minds of many believers. However, many believers struggle with Christmas because of painful, traumatic experiences from the past. Too often, people with happy memories have no way to understand how people cannot be happy.
Unless you have walked in a person’s shoes, you may not be able to understand how hard it is to get past their painful memories. However, with Jesus in you, you can show them compassion and be Jesus to them. People who struggle with painful memories need Christ’s love, compassion, and joy extended to them more than ever during Christmas.
How can we help people hurting during Christmas? We can share the promise of a new beginning because Jesus chose to come to earth. Let’s share God’s promise of a new beginning through Christ’s birth with kind words, patience, generosity, and respect. Here are three truths to keep Christmas focused on Christ’s ability to make us new!
Christmas Represents . . .
1. God’s Love
For this is how God loved the world: he gave his one and only son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his son into the world not to judge the world but to save the world through him. (John 3:16-17, NLT)
Christmas represents the birth of Jesus, bringing God’s tangible love in an imperfect body to live among us. God’s love for us is seen in the life of Jesus in the Bible. Jesus loved people where they were at in all walks of life, in any condition and with value and respect. These truths and qualities are the love of God. Let’s extend His love to everyone we meet every day, even after Christmas.
2. Promise of a New Beginning Through Salvation
Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! (2 Cor. 5:17, NLT)
Christmas represents Jesus giving us the opportunity to choose to follow him and have a new spiritual life. He gives everyone a second chance, a new beginning. What a revelation for people in the world who believe they are too far gone, they have done too many bad things, or they do not feel worthy enough to be loved.
Jesus offers us his gift of Salvation when we ask him to be our Lord and Savior. We can never deserve or earn it. Our new beginning comes from God’s and Christ’s love alone. We just have to choose him and receive it. Let’s share Christ’s great news with unbelievers and remind other believers to live in his grace, joy, and power.
3. Power Over Sin
But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 15:57, NLT)
Christmas represents the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Savior, who conquered sin and death. We would not personally know the loving grace of God without Jesus Christ. Justin Holcomb, writer for Christianity.com summarizes the aspects of grace.
“Grace is the love of God shown to the unlovely; the peace of God given to the restless; the unmerited favor of God.” Because of the grace of Jesus, his guidance, correction, and power living inside us through the Holy Spirit, we can live in the unconditional love of God every day. Our new beginning with Jesus also means we can overcome sin!
4. Eternal Life with God and Jesus
Jesus said. “It’s urgent that you listen carefully to this: Anyone here who believes what I am saying right now and aligns himself with the Father, who has in fact put me in charge, has at this very moment the real, lasting life and is no longer condemned to be an outsider. This person has taken a giant step from the world of the dead to the world of the living.” (John 5:24, MSG)
Christmas represents the fact that every person who chooses salvation through Jesus Christ has stepped from death to life now and for eternity! Our gift of eternal life cost Jesus everything on the cross. His sacrifice saved our soul, and one day all who live as his disciples will spend eternity in a perfect heaven with God and Jesus.
Create New Happy Memories to Replace the Past
If you struggle with painful or traumatic memories around the Christmas season, set some time to be alone with God. Share your pain with him and let him comfort your heart and heal your wounds. Ask the Holy Spirit to cover you with his healing balm of Christ’s comforting grace. Ask Jesus to fill any wounds or holes in your heart with his unconditional love and complete healing.
If your pain is deep, I encourage you to seek the help of a Christian counselor. They can help you through this healing process. I have been through counseling throughout my life to work through and heal from my past painful memories.
Jesus instructs us to find wise counsel, and this includes a counselor. Do not let the enemy make you think that counseling means you are weak or you don’t have enough faith. Don’t worry about what people will think. Remember, the enemy wants to kill and steal your hope, dreams, and faith. He wants to destroy you in every way. (John 10:10, NIV) The only way to defeat him is to work with Jesus and find healing from your painful past.
Create New Beginnings This Christmas!
If you struggle with Christmas, ask Jesus to show you his love in the festivities of Christmas this year. Be intentional to show others his love. There’s nothing like making a person smile, letting them know that you see them and respect them, or being generous with your time and resources to keep you focused on Christ’s love.
Jesus came to give us a new beginning. He brought his unconditional love, grace, mercy, forgiveness, guidance, blessings, and favor. He’s waiting to take your hand and help you create happy new memories to replace any painful ones. Take his hand and create new beginnings this Christmas!
