For some people Christmas is not a time of joy, but sadness. In some cases it’s because their families are fractured by divorce and their memories are painful. In their book, None of These Diseases, S.I. McMillen and David Stern described the damage we inflict on ourselves when we dislike someone or refuse to forgive them. ‘The moment I begin to hate a man, I become his slave. He controls my thoughts. He controls my feelings. He even controls my dreams. Stress hormones constantly surge through my bloodstream and wear down my body…the one I hate hounds me wherever I go.’ As your family gathers for Christmas, perhaps there’s a member you don’t really get on with or haven’t forgiven. If so, remember that Jesus came into the world to love the unlovely and forgive the unworthy. The word ‘grace’ means ‘unearned, unmerited, undeserved favour”. And Christ will take away the anger and resentment from your heart if you let Him. Jesus said, ‘Pray for those who hurt you...Do to others as you would like them to do to you’ (Luke 6:28, 31 NLT). If you’re not looking forward to seeing someone in your family this Christmas, why not say this prayer: ‘Lord, Help me to show grace to everyone around me even if they annoy me. Let the love of Christ flow through me this Christmas. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.’

What Now?
If there’s someone you really struggle to be around this Christmas, write down a couple of their good points and then keep that list in your pocket through the day. If you feel yourself getting frustrated with that person, remember what’s in your pocket and focus on what you wrote.