Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Is it really so hard to get along with one another? Are you concerned about how your Christmas gatherings may go? Do you plan to be the empty seat at the table because of past grudges? The reality is yes, it can be very difficult to have peaceful relationships with each other. In Paul’s second letter to the church at Corinth he writes “For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you to be not what I wish and be found by you to be not what you wish…” In many ways we are not who we wish to be, and our family members are often not what we wish them to be. So, how do we overcome this hurdle and actually enjoy this Christmas season together?

In the last verse of 2 Corinthians 13, we are given three gifts to give that can make a big difference in restoring peace and goodwill this Christmas: grace, love and fellowship. Grace is simply giving underserved favor. Perhaps the greatest gift you can give to another is grace. Love keeps no record of wrongs. Are you willing to love when very little love is returned? Fellowship is enjoying the interaction with one another. Without grace and love, fellowship is just an act that will exhaust us to the core.

These three words in 2 Corinthians 13:14 also have some keywords around them that give us hope. I will now quote the entire verse “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.” This Christmas season is a wonderful time to surrender your remaining life to God. He will give you His grace, His love, and His Spirit. May your sins be forgiven and your heart filled with the love of God. And may grace abound in your relationships with others. May we all experience true fellowship once again, in spite of our shortcomings and failures. Merry Christmas to each of you. If you would like to hear more on the joys of Christmas, join us at Calvary Chapel Farmville for a Christmas Eve service on Dec. 24, 5-6 p.m.

Marv Fisher is the pastor at Calvary Chapel Farmville and can be heard weekdays at 1:30 PM on 105.3 Equip FM radio. He can be reached at pastor@ccfarmville.org.