DAY #9: December 14, 2010

Christmas is time to reconnect with God and renew my faith, but Christmas is also time to - #2. CHRISTMAS IS TIME TO REBUILD RELATIONSHIPS.

It's a time of reconciliations. Luke 2:14 says, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men." God wants you to not only have peace with Him but He wants you to have peace with other people too.

Peanuts cartoon: Lucy says to Charlie Brown, "Charlie Brown, it's the Christmas season. I think we ought to bury our differences, forgive each other and try to be kind and get along." Charlie Brown says, "Great! But why just this season? Why not all year?" Lucy says, "What do you think I am, some kind of fanatic?"

Holiday seasons, often rather than promoting harmony are often a time of conflict. You see relatives that you don't particularly like. All families have difficulties. There's jealousies, grudges, resentment, misunderstanding. There are those special relatives whose elevator doesn't go all the way to the top and everybody knows it. It causes conflict.

Who do you need to reach out to this Christmas? Who do you need to write a letter to, make a call to? Who do you need to offer forgiveness to? Who do you need to ask forgiveness from and restore relationships?

What's the key to happy relationships? 1 John 1:7 tells us. "If we are living in the light of God's presence, just as Christ does, then we have wonderful fellowship and joy with each other." When Christ is in me and Christ is in you, then Christ isn't going to argue with Christ. We're never going to have peace on earth until the Prince of Peace reigns in everybody's heart. We need, the Bible says at Christmas time, to rebuild relationships.

For some of you, it’s time to rebuild your relationship with God. Before you can rebuild relationships with the people in your life, you need to start with God. You've been thinking about it. You've lived this past year apart from Christ and it's frustrating. You run out of energy. Your run out of ideas.

Maybe you've drifted away from God in the past few months or the past few years -- for a long time. Now is the time to come back home. Come back home to God at Christmas. Let Jesus Christ be your Savior. Receive God's gift of Jesus Christ this Christmas and it will make all the difference in the world. It's time.