Now that Christmas Day has come and gone and we are relishing in the new toys and gadgets we received from our favorite Santa figure, we are on to making our New Years' resolutions.
Whether this year was kind to us or one we hope will never be repeated, what can we do to ensure that this next year is a "Happy New Year?"
Free your heart from hate!
You may be inclined to say, "But I don't hate anybody or anything at the moment!" While this may be true, after some more serious reflection, I've learned not to respond so quickly.
I recently shared this thought from the Christmas story with a group of recovering addicts and individuals down on hard luck, "I think I'm more like King Herod than I really want to admit!"
Herod was the one wanting to kill baby Jesus. While the wise men and shepherds were being led by bright lights and bringing expensive gifts as an act of worship, Herod was devising a plan to ensure his kingdom would not be dismantled.
Seriously, how many of us feel our kingdoms being threatened by the presence of Jesus? Giving up this idealistic world of control, comfort, and convenience that we've harbored all to ourselves seems to be a foreign concept most of us are not willing to concede.
And because we feel our kingdoms being threatened we put up our defenses; rationalizing our own behavior and becoming judgmental toward others. And what grows out of those attitudes is envy, bitterness, and contempt that eventually leads to hate.
Now, we don't usually call it hate. We're much more refined than that. But whatever expletive you sense your heart screaming as you blunder into a heaping mess of life or stare at others as they snuggle up close to the life you've always wanted it becomes evident that it's not leading you down the path of your own happiness.
Very simply, here's my first New Year's resolution for all of us; know that love and forgiveness will rob hate of its power. Forgive yourself. You have a past. And so do I. We can't change that part of our story but we don't have to let it continue to cripple us moving forward.
Forgive others. Hurt people hurt people. We're human; imperfect people. Flailing our arms in the air screaming obscenities because life's not fair will not move us any closer to the happiness we desire.
But the essence of truth required to forgive ourselves and others is to realize that we've already been forgiven. The Christmas story isn't just about the happy experiences of Santa, family, meals, and presents. It's about that baby being born and the happy life that He would offer by establishing His forever kingdom!
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