Forgiveness: A Way to Prepare Him Room this Christmas

Let every heart prepare Him room.

This is my mantra, especially during Advent and Christmas.

May my heart always, always prepare Him room.

May every heart prepare Him room.

And yet, how can we prepare Him room in hearts full of grudges?

It’s been a hard year for so many. I know so many full of hurt, betrayal, and brokenness that comes from sin.  I know that for some?  It’s been a hard several years.  Some friends have had decades of hurt and devastation.

The weight is heavy.  I know.  My own heart has broken before.  I have felt the suffocation of loss that I didn’t choose.  I’ve woken at night, gasping for air because my heart was so hurt by betrayal. I’m a girl who thrives on stability, jobs and relationships that withstand the test of time.  I’ve walked away from parts of my life that I would have chosen to hold onto forever, if only I had been the one making the choice.  Life hurts sometimes because sin in full of hurt and sin is an ugly destruction.

Hearts weren’t made to hold onto this, friends.

Hearts cannot live in the suffocation of anger and unforgiveness and still be a temple for the most Holy God.

I’m not a theologian, but my heart?  May I humbly share that I need my heart to release the junk to make room for more of Him.  Maybe your capacity is different than mine.  Maybe?  I only know the inner workings of my own heart, but when I look at the Bible?

Friends, I think we have to surrender our hurt feelings and broken hearts to God. That is what I see when I look at the Word of God.  That is what I see in Jesus, The Living Word.  That is what I see on the pages of my Bible.  Forgiveness is His way.  He has told us this.  He has lived this.

He can make beauty from the ashes.  He can shine light through the shards of breaking grief.  He makes all things new.  I just want more of Him.  My heart needs more Jesus, this season and always. I want to do the hard work of preparing Him room even if it means laying down my pride to forgive what feels so wrongfully hurt and broken.

I want to prepare Him room even when it isn’t my way.  I want to prepare Him room by living His way.

May I humbly suggest that God created you with a heart that is meant to forgive?  May I hug you and tell you that this is truth?

The truth in the Word of God tells us so clearly here in Matthew:

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” ~Matthew 6:12-15

If God looked at Saul: a man who was persecuting Christians, and called him Paul: a man who would share the Gospel with nations?  If my Holy God did this, what righteousness do I have as a sinful human to withhold my forgiveness from anyone?  I have no excuse.  There is no excuse for an unforgiving heart.

An unforgiving heart only separates me from becoming more like Christ.  An unforgiving heart only distracts me from His goodness by focusing on someone else’s sin.

 An unforgiving heart places me on a throne of righteousness that I do not have.

I am not righteous.  There is not one.  Only Jesus.  While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

This season, it is my prayer that you will let go of the hurt you’ve been clinging to so tightly.  Let it go and trust God to begin the healing.  God can heal the hurt and anger in your heart.  He can even replace your old, tired grudges with love for the transgressor.  Our God is fully able.  Surrender it to Jesus, friend.

May your heart surrender to Him to make more of Him.  May your heart let go of what is imprisoned in sin to be free in Christ.

Let every heart.

From my heart to yours,

~Courtney

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