We're continuing our Share Christmas series this week by learning how we can Share Reconciliation. You may be wondering... what does reconciliation have to do with Christmas? Reconciliation is the process where we rebuild relationship. It's where we rebuild trust. See, trust is gained in inches and lost in yards... and while reconciling with someone in your life who has wronged you is not intuitive, comfortable, or even necessary in some cases... often, it can be a gift.

RECONCILIATION IS A GIFT

At Christmas, we celebrate God and sinner reconciled, like in the popular Christmas song, "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!" However, we often fail to demonstrate sinner and sinner reconciled. Is there anyone in your life that you need to reconcile with? Is it a spouse? What about a friend or co-worker? Maybe it's even a close family member, like your mom or brother... When we need to reconcile with someone, we often know it deep down in our hearts, but keep huge lists of excuses for why we should not take that step to heal the relationship. In this Christmas season, we celebrate the God who sent his Son into the world to reconcile himself with humanity. Guys, God took the first step to reconcile with us when he had an endless list of excuses for why he shouldn't... but he chose to do it anyway. He chose to forgive and send us Jesus to live a perfect life and die for our sins. It cost God SO MUCH MORE to reconcile with us, yet when it comes to our need to reconcile with other sinners, our lists of excuses often makes reconciliation seem like too high a price to pay.

Now, if you are a Christ-follower, think about this: Do you remember what it felt to be alienated from God? You might even feel alienated or distant from God in your life right now... But the good news is, our stories do not end in alienation from God. In Colossians 1:22, Paul writes this:

"But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation." -Colossians 1:22

As believers in what God did for us through Jesus, all of our past sin is forgiven. When you're in a place of alienation from God, all you need to do is ask for forgiveness, because Jesus already paid the debt for your sin. ALL of your sin! When you confess your sins to God, He FORGIVES. You're adopted now... reconciled to the family of God and no longer alienated.

Everyday, we get to live in the reconciling love of God. He removed everything in our lives that made us incompatible with him, and guys, that's the message of Christmas! So, how will you take steps towards reconciliation this Christmas? Do you need to be reconciled with someone in your life? Just as God reconciled himself to us through Jesus, let's take steps to Share Reconciliation with those around us this Christmas!