It’s Christmas again. Yesterday, there was the usual giving of presents in the office and almost everyone in my department went back with big bags of presents. Perhaps that’s the result of having so many colleagues. Sometimes, I wonder why it is that we have to exchange presents during Christmas time.
This year’s Christmas seemed to be more subdued, at least for me. Maybe I’m just tired. So many things have happened this year. I don’t even know where to start. But I thanked God for the good things, like my grandma’s operation, and also for the bad things, like the realization that some people are not what I expected them to be, because these incidents had helped me grow as well.
Then again, who am I to judge? After all, we are all sinners and capable of thinking evil thoughts and doing evil deeds. And that’s why we have Christmas. Pastor was right when he said this morning that the first Christmas wasn’t just a joyous occasion, but also one where great atrocities were committed when King Herod ordered the killing of babies, because he wanted to kill the baby Jesus. Yet the prophecy had to be fulfilled and Jesus was killed in the end, 33 years later on the cross.
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)
And it is this love that He has given us. A love so strong it can wash away our sins. Yet we find it so difficult to accept because we feel so unworthy. Or because we had not experience this love in our lives. I had attended church since primary school but it was only until the end of JC 1 that I accepted Christ in my life. And I had accepted Him not because my parents are Christian, not because I’ve been attending church since young, and not even because it seemed to be the right thing to do. But because I needed His love. There was a void in my life that only He can fill. A thirst that only He can quench. And on that night, I found my first love. No other man can love me despite all my iniquities. But it doesn’t just stop there. My life isn’t perfect and I know it will never be because I am still human. And I have to seek His forgiveness everyday because I still sin.
You see, no one can force us to believe. Yes, an all-powerful God can make humans love Him if He wants to. But a love that is forced isn’t really love, right? At the end of day, it’s still our choice to make.
This year’s Christmas seemed to be more subdued, at least for me. Maybe I’m just tired. So many things have happened this year. I don’t even know where to start. But I thanked God for the good things, like my grandma’s operation, and also for the bad things, like the realization that some people are not what I expected them to be, because these incidents had helped me grow as well.
Then again, who am I to judge? After all, we are all sinners and capable of thinking evil thoughts and doing evil deeds. And that’s why we have Christmas. Pastor was right when he said this morning that the first Christmas wasn’t just a joyous occasion, but also one where great atrocities were committed when King Herod ordered the killing of babies, because he wanted to kill the baby Jesus. Yet the prophecy had to be fulfilled and Jesus was killed in the end, 33 years later on the cross.
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)
And it is this love that He has given us. A love so strong it can wash away our sins. Yet we find it so difficult to accept because we feel so unworthy. Or because we had not experience this love in our lives. I had attended church since primary school but it was only until the end of JC 1 that I accepted Christ in my life. And I had accepted Him not because my parents are Christian, not because I’ve been attending church since young, and not even because it seemed to be the right thing to do. But because I needed His love. There was a void in my life that only He can fill. A thirst that only He can quench. And on that night, I found my first love. No other man can love me despite all my iniquities. But it doesn’t just stop there. My life isn’t perfect and I know it will never be because I am still human. And I have to seek His forgiveness everyday because I still sin.
You see, no one can force us to believe. Yes, an all-powerful God can make humans love Him if He wants to. But a love that is forced isn’t really love, right? At the end of day, it’s still our choice to make.
Posted on 25 Dec, Thursday, 11.55pm
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