Reconciliation
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Reconciling All Things
[Colossians 1:19-20] River of Life (Advent Devotionals)
Christmas is right around the corner, just a few days away. By now, you’ve likely checked most of the people off your list. You’ve firmed up plans on who you’re going to see and when and where. The most wonderful time of the year is a time that we all tend to find ourselves most busy. But it’s a good busy. It’s good to take a step back from all our fevered doing and just enjoy some peaceful being.
That’s one of those special blessings of the Christmas season. We all make more of an effort to talk with and spend time with our family and our friends.
Some of those people, we haven’t seen much of since last Christmas, and we are counting down the days, the minutes, and the hours until we get to see them again. Others people, we haven’t seen since last Christmas—and that was a calculated choice.
Spending time with someone you have a frayed relationship can be really stressful—even if you’re surrounded by tinsel and glittering lights. Sitting down and breaking bread with someone you have a strained relationship with can feel like something you just have to get through—survive—even when the bread you’re breaking is festive gingerbread men.
Perhaps, you have someone like that in your life. If you do, I’m willing to bet you point the finger of blame at them more than at yourself. It’s not necessarily right, but it is human nature.
But maybe, there is someone you will be seeing this Christmas season that you just don’t really click with. You got off on the wrong foot at first and now you feel like no matter what you do, it’s always going to be this way. Christmas is a tough time even for those kinds of relationships. Especially if you have to get them a gift.
Gift giving can feel like a minefield. What do you give someone you don’t see eye-to-eye with? Clothes won’t work. You might get the wrong size and offend them. You might get something that isn’t their style and annoy them. Some gadget might sound good, but will they put in the time to figure it out and appreciate the thought behind it? So you probably settle for a gift card. Then they can get what they want. But, that’s still not going to remedy the problem in that relationship.
We all want harmony during the holidays. It doesn’t matter how good the cookies are, if there’s bitterness in the air. We all want that copacetic relationships at Christmas. It doesn’t matter how expensive the gifts are if we have to deal with tension when we’re in someone’s presence.
This Christmas, God has one more gift for us in sending his Son into this world. Here’s what the Holy Scriptures tell us: (Col. 1:19–20) For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
You see, were aren’t the only ones who want some peace and harmony in this life. God does, too. But here’s the key difference. God didn’t do anything wrong in our relationship. He never stepped on our toes. He never said something rude or inconsiderate. He was never impatient or unkind to us. In fact, he has been incredibly generous to every single one of us. He has spoken words of kindness and wisdom and love. He has been exceedingly patient. We are the ones who have wronged him. We are the ones that have thumbed our noses at his way of doing things. God wants us to do two things. Love him fully. And love our neighbor as ourselves.
But, instead of loving God, we love to ignore what he says and just do whatever we want. Instead of listening carefully to his Word, we disregard his wisdom and do our own thing. Instead of loving our neighbor as ourselves, we love our neighbor so long as it benefits me. Difficult people, irritating people, self-destructive people—instead of embracing them and loving them sacrificially, we give them the cold shoulder. We cut them out of our lives. We say things like: “I don’t have the time or the energy to deal with their problems or drama.”
And maybe you don’t. It’s more than likely you cannot fix that person. But it’s crucial that we understand that as difficult, irritating, and frustrating as that person has been and is to us, by nature, we were exponentially worse to our God. With each sin, we spat in his face.
Yet, look at how he responded. The fullness of God, Jesus, took on flesh and blood. He familiarized himself with life in this world. He saw and felt the things we struggle with. He rubbed shoulders with difficult people. He lived alongside people who were annoying and self-destructive. But he loved them. Not because they could do anything for him. But because he is love. That love moved the Son of God to sacrifice himself in our place. Jesus shed his blood on the cross to give us the greatest gift we’ve ever received. Reconciliation with God.
Now when God looks at those of us who believe in his Son, he is pleased. Not because we never mess up. But because Jesus has made full atonement for all our sins through his life, death, and resurrection. God’s unconditional and undeserved love humbles us and fils us with joy. God has blessed us with priceless peace.
And this season, we have enough peace to share with one another. Christ’s sacrificial and reconciling love compels us to look at and treat everyone differently. We don’t just love those who are lovely or loving towards us. We love our neighbor because God loved us first. We love our enemies, because the Son of God redeemed us while we were still living as his enemies. He reconciled us to himself. What a gift! It’s the reason the herald angels sang: glory to the newborn king. Peace on earth and mercy mild. God and sinners reconciled.