FIRST THINGS FIRST

As a little girl, I once sang a solo entitled “The Babe in the Manger.” My entire life I’ve remembered the heart of that song. “Do you worship the Babe in the manger, but reject the Christ of the Cross?”

A few years ago, it struck me that the message OF the manger IS forgiveness. When God the Father sent Jesus as a baby, He had already decided to forgive us. He forgave, & then gave again, a second opportunity to be united with Him through the indwelling life of Christ. Our spiritual ancestors, Adam & Eve, sold their perfect union with Him as Creator by believing a twisted lie & taking a bite. Consequently, we are all born in need of redemption from our first breath.

More times than I can count, I have pondered if it’s possible to be a born-again, indwelt believer & still live harboring offenses & bitterness that can easily morph into hatred. In my mind, there must be a serious spiritual disconnect in those situations. Because the amazing wonder of the manger is forgiving love. Jesus was born for the purpose of dying, providing substitutionary payment for all our sins that would normally result in an eternal death sentence. His forgiveness is a miracle, & proof of His great love. Our willingness to extend forgiveness to others is proof (or not), that we understand the full implications of Christ’s sacrifice.

I know I’ve said this before, but I think it bears repeating. The motives of my offender aren’t really an issue here. God always goes after my heart first. Humility has a good memory & accurate recall of why I needed my Savior in the first place. His regular challenge is asking me, “What am I teaching you about you, in this situation?” Every time. Even though I know that the Spirit is completely accurate, I don’t always like to look for those answers because the offense can really hurt! I can try to rationalize by comparing offenses. But it gets me nowhere because God is persistent! When I am convicted of my own “log,” I’m not as apt to hold someone else guilty for their “speck.”

Practical redemption in conflict is a daily necessity. Though others might not see the warring inside our souls, all of us have feet of clay that can easily crumble…were it not for God’s working in us. My faithful Father never lets me get away with pointing the finger. As my heart is laid open before Him, I can see others in the light of His forgiving love toward me. I can forgive them even if they don’t know that they hurt me or if they ever take responsibility for their actions. Or if they even care. But I can pray for them instead of me being chewed up & spit out by the enemy. This truth is a perpetual game-changer…thanks to the Babe, who fulfilled His Father’s requirements for forgiveness, when He fully embraced the Cross.

It’s the beginning of a new year. None of us know what 2026 holds in store. We can plan with good intentions. But there are no guarantees those plans will come to fruition. 2025 came to an end, for many folks, still facing great uncertainty & formidable challenges. Life is often a day-by-day fight of faith, to trust God’s sovereignty, when light can barely be seen at the end of that long tunnel. Inevitably, as human hearts interact, & sometimes clash, forgiveness empowers that light to keep growing.

Whatever your hopes & resolves are for the next 12 months, keep first things first. At the very least, for a professing believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, this means living forgiving. He loved first & He forgave first. We give away what we have received ourselves… the ministry of reconciliation. (2 Cor 5:17-20) Amazingly, as ambassadors for Christ, our responses can create a desire, in others, to want Him. The enemy works to discredit Jesus Christ by attempting to steal, kill, & destroy God’s work in our lives. His most powerful ammunition is fueling unforgiveness. Don’t let him extinguish your light.

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