Consider This Christmas Eve…

Before the festivities start tonight, consider three thing:

Consider Your Failings.

Consider your doubts and struggles to be good parents, spouses and even adult children. Consider how you feel in those moments when you wonder if you haven’t screwed it up beyond repair.

Then Consider Grace.

Consider grace found in this newborn child celebrated on this day. Consider grace found in not expecting perfect behavior from us, but still being loved. Consider grace found in the forgiveness of all our failings. Consider grace found by a payment made on our behalf. Consider grace found at an unlimited credit of good that has been applied to us. Consider grace found at a cross, and then an empty tomb.

Finally, Consider Others.

Consider others, when you sit and eat with family and friends, keeping your mouth full of food instead of words. Consider others, so that before you give your opinions, you give grace by holding them back. Consider others and know, whatever you think about your own failings and struggles, that before you give your criticism veiled in “opinion”, they already struggle with their own doubts and fears over all the various responsibilities they have.

This is not so much a challenge, as it is an encouragement for you this Christmas Eve, to consider, before you give someone your “opinion”, to give them a compliment and a hug instead.

Pass it on or don’t, these are just my thoughts.

Consider me done.

Merry Christmas