Christmas is a Time For Forgiveness: 5 Easy Steps To Help You Let Go of Anger and Forgive

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Good as these tests are, there is a greater one. True love sacrifices for the loved one. … That is the final test. Christ gave of Himself, gave His life, for us, and thereby proclaimed the reality of his love for his mortal brethren and sisters.” 3

The late Queen carried the burden of knowing more about the world than her 15 Prime Ministers, Armed Forces and Secret Service all put together in the 70 years she was sovereign. As a human being she went through all sorts of pain; family breakups and massive pressure, but every Christmas shared that her anchor and foundation was in her personal, experiential relationship with Jesus Christ. He is the best gift for the world right now! Luke 7:47 reveals the key to forgiveness.” Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”When the last of the ghosts has left and Scrooge finally awakes on Christmas day, we are shown a new man.

It is also important to remember that there is a difference between forgiveness and trust. Jesus tells us again and again in the Gospels to forgive and to show mercy, but He doesn’t say we must place our trust in the people who have hurt us. Rather, Scripture says, “It is better to put confidence in the Lord than to trust in man.” (Psalm 118:8) This forgiveness wasn’t held out to a few especially defiant sinners. This was the deep and daily need of every human soul. When his disciples asked him how to pray, Jesus’s response was strikingly brief, simple, and to the point. “When you pray,” Jesus told them, say this: John 1:9 leads to a question: Is our forgiveness contingent on our confession? John has just said that believers can’t say they have no sin. We all sin every day. We confess those sins that we are aware of. But what about the sins we’re not aware of? Can I be lost – not reconciled to God – because I never confess the sins I’ve failed to recognize?

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I remember my face was raw and dry from crying so much. In the hospital I couldn't hug him or hold him at all. All I could do was hold his fingers, so many tubes and wires. I remember I started to pray, I believe I can talk to God, that he's my father, so I talked to him.

Instead, St. Francis says, when we feel our anger rising, we must calmly call upon God’s help. “Prayers directed against present and pressing anger must always be said calmly and peaceably and not violently.” Jesus never sinned, but he knew just how seductive sin could be (Hebrews 4:15). He knew how much sin would cost him. He came to cancel sin, and so he taught us to plead for forgiveness. Forgiveness in Flesh and Blood It isn't easy making the choice to forgive. But living with unforgiveness can be downright deadly! I've heard it said that harboring unforgiveness is like drinking poison and hoping the other person dies! That's a good way to think about it, because many, many illnesses, including depression and arthritis, can be linked to bitterness and unforgiveness! Sometimes forgiveness is easy. But sometimes it is very, very hard, especially when a person we loved and trusted has betrayed us. We might say we forgive someone, but then painful memories replay in our minds, and it is tempting to wallow in resentment again. When this happens, we might wonder: If I still feel the pain, and I don’t trust these people anymore, did I truly forgive them from my heart? If I’m tempted to resentment, did I fail to forgive fully?

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Scrooge hung his head to hear his own words quoted by the Spirit, and was overcome with penitence and grief. Understood this way, confession is not something over and above “believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). Confession is the daily manifestation of faith in Jesus, a daily living out of recognizing Him as Savior, Master, and Treasure, a consistent exhibit of the Gospel of God’s grace. Not long after, John’s long-awaited cousin was born. An even more miraculous child. Forgiveness incarnate. The theme of the novella is clear from the title - A Christmas Carol - which refers to the traditional carols that are sung at Christmas time. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.