Give the Gift of Christmas

Give the Gift of Christmas

By DAVID WHATLEY | Dec. 21, 2018

With legislation passed in June 1870, Christmas became one of our nation’s first four national holidays established by Congress and is one of only eleven national holidays currently recognized by the Federal government.

While we may be aware that Christmas is a holiday that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ—a Jewish man from Israel who was born about 2,000 years ago—what our nation seems to be less aware of is the significance of Jesus’ life and the applicability to our own lives today.

As we know, Christmas is a time of gift giving. It is a time we express our love for those in our lives that matter most: our family, friends, and, for some of us, our neighbors. Similarly, in accordance with Christian theology, the life of Jesus Christ may also be thought of as a gift: a gift given by God, to those whom He loves and matter most: us.

The tragic reality for far too many Americans, is that we are unaware of the gift of Jesus: No one has taken the time to explain to us the gift of Jesus and what it means. Even more tragic, some of us, who are aware, refuse to accept the gift of Jesus. We say that we don’t need or want the gift. We protest that because those who are followers of the gift are hypocrites, the Gift is not authentic. We reason that because there are far too many other religions in the world, that the gift couldn’t possibly be unique. We do all of these things, but we do not take the time to open the gift and investigate for ourselves what is inside.

Have you ever been wronged in your life? Have you ever been severely mistreated? What did you feel? Anger? Hatred? Hurt? Betrayal? Would it be justified if the person or people who wronged you were punished…let’s say they had to pay a penalty for the wrong they committed?

For many of us, the answer to all of the above questions may likely be Yes. I know for me it is.

Now let me ask you this question: have you ever wronged a person in your life? Have you ever severely mistreated a person? –Made them feel anger, hatred, hurt, or betrayal towards you?

Regretfully and shamefully, I would have to admit that my answer to these questions would also be Yes.

Now let’s say we could not afford the penalty we have been charged for the wrongs we have committed. What if the penalties that we owed—which were rightfully levied against us— accumulated so high that we could never, ever pay them off? Similarly, what if someone who has wronged us could never, ever pay the debt they owe?

Christmas provides us with relief. –God’s gift of Jesus is a blank check for payment of our debt: it doesn’t matter how high the penalties are which have been accumulated, the gift of Jesus pays for any and all of it: debt which we owe to others and debt which others owe to us. We have done nothing to earn or deserve this forgiveness of debt: it is given to us freely because of God’s love for us and His grace towards us…we simply have to receive it. –And then be willing to give it to others.

Admittedly receiving and giving the gift of forgiveness is often quite difficult. This is because forgiveness is not just an exercise of the mind but is also an exercise of the heart…and sometimes the heart and mind don’t always match up: they must be in agreement with each other in order for forgiveness to be achieved. Because sometimes the offense is so great and so hurtful that simply speaking the words “i forgive you” does not take away the pain that you feel in your heart.
So how do we get there…how do we get to a place where our mind and heart are in agreement with those we forgive?

The answer is prayer. And what is prayer? Prayer is simply communication with God: it’s talking to God, yelling at God, crying to God, reasoning with God, even screaming at Him. It’s putting the hurts of your heart onto Him instead of continuously carrying them within you. It’s asking Him to give you peace, or rather, agreement in your heart and mind, with the forgiveness extended to those who have hurt you.

Forgiveness is a process and often times a difficult and painful one but one we must be willing to undertake if we which to have debt relief. A regular and ongoing prayer life will be essential to helping us get there, but, we must remember, it all begins with the first step: to receive the gift…Jesus.

For Christmas this year, let us continue in our tradition of giving and receiving gifts, and let’s let that include God’s gift of the gift of Jesus: Jesus, a child born into poverty over 2,000 years ago in the Middle East. –Who’s birth we commemorate every December 25th, and Who’s life pays off the debt for any and all pain, hurt, or wrongdoing: may we receive the gift of Jesus from God Who gave Him to us; and may we give and receive the gift of Jesus to and from others.

Let us start the New Year off fresh, clean, and free of the debts that have weighed us down.

A native Californian, David Whatley currently lives in the Bay Area. An alumnus of UCLA Political Science and former aide for the California State legislature, he maintains an advocacy practice on behalf of veterans, senior citizens, and individuals with disabilities, based in Santa Monica. You may reach him at davidsagaftra@gmail.com