Of any gift you could give or receive this Christmas, what truly could be more valuable than the gift of forgiveness?
When God sent His Son to this world, He did not send Him to condemn us. He sent Jesus to say, “I’ve come to rescue you!” Who is on the other side of your forgiveness? Jesus warned us many times how unwillingness to forgive can be toxic, an obstacle that keeps us from walking in full freedom and joy. Forgive seventy times seven (Matthew 18:22)? Does that mean forgive 490 times and then unleash all our frustration the 491st time someone offends us? No. We are not to keep score. Rather, we must understand that we all fall short, so we can extend grace over and over again.
The gifts we give and receive at Christmas time are lovely. Some people have a knack for finding exactly the right gift, often one we never would have expected. Remember that the Giver of every good and perfect gift gave us Jesus. And He went to the end of the earth to bring us exactly the right gift, one we do not deserve: forgiveness!