And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you. Ezekiel 36:26-27
A Christmas Carol is a popular Christmas classic penned by Charles Dickens well over a hundred years ago.
One cannot comprehend the panic Scrooge felt as he walked with the Ghost of Christmas Future, unless one has made sinful choices such as Scrooge.
Because Scrooge was so selfish, he was blind to anything but himself.
Increasingly becoming aware of his sin only that night.
The consequences of his actions finally spoke louder to Scrooge than his fleshly habits.
Finding him in the graveyard, he sees the man’s name so ridiculed in death pages before: his own.
Falling on his face, he begs the Ghost of Christmas Future for a second chance.
Scrooge is agonized beyond anything he’s felt before.
He recognizes he is literally doomed.
Doomed forever and ever unless given a second chance.
A second chance as a changed man.
Begging the Ghost, he claims to have changed.
Begs and pleads with all his might.
He finally understands his truly bleak future written by his choices lived his entire adult life.
Stop and imagine yourself. What if that was you?
Do you have sections of your life ugly to God?
So ugly you deserve eternal damnation, too?
We all do. All of us deserve death.
But Jesus. His birth, death, and resurrection bring us hope as we place our trust in Him.
But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.
Let’s return to the question at hand: what ugly parts of your life do you still need to give to God?
Why haven’t you? What’s stopping you? Are you even bothered by them?
Scrooge wasn’t for most of his life. But when his eyes were opened, he was horrified.
Release your fleshly desires to God. Release your sinful ways, hurtful to so many.
Scrooge never cared about hurting others, but he did when he finally got it.
We don’t have the luxury of seeing future consequences of our sin.
But we do have the gift of God’s redemption. And second chances.
When Scrooge finally pried open his hands, he released his bitterness. His anger. His selfishness.
And in return he was given new eyes. And boy was he happy!
Releasing those burdens caused Scrooge to well up with joy unlike anything he had ever felt before.
Just like us, when we are forgiven by God.
Covered by Jesus, we are made new. Forgiven. Hopeful. Loved.
Bring your whole self to Jesus, this Christmas. Ask Him to show you any part you’ve neglected to give to Him.
Gather up your courage, give Him that ugly part, too, and welcome the healing He promises to bring.
Like Scrooge, you’ll be grateful all the way down to your toes.
Photos by Elin Melaas, David Abrams, Jez Timms, & Elliott B on Unsplash
Amy Linnea 
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