s it gets closer to Christmas, our TiVo gets filled up with holiday movies faster than you can sing "Silent Night." Of all the classics out there, my absolute favorite is the animated version of "The Grinch that Stole Christmas." Strangely enough, this unlovable character serves as an annual reminder (read: swift kick in the pants) to keep myself focused on the true reason for Christmas, which is the celebration of Jesus' birth and thanking God for loving a flawed person like me.

For those who need a refresher, the Grinch lives a solitary life, with no friends and an abnormally small heart. He is repulsed by happiness and takes matters into his own hands by stealing all the presents, food, decorations, etc., on Christmas Eve. On Christmas morning, he is genuinely shocked when the absence of material things does not detract one bit from the joy of Christmas.

After that, the Grinch joyfully realizes that despite all his faults, he can be accepted and his heart swells with love and gratitude.
Let’s just think about what life might have been like for that Grinch if he had accepted Christ into his life. Instead of having a heart full of hate that festered and led to a heart condition, the Grinch could have experienced joy and peace through the love and acceptance of Jesus Christ.

There’s no telling what God could have done through him! With all the energy and planning that went into his Christmas Eve scheme, I like to think that his spiritual gift would have been leadership. Can you imagine the Grinch as chairman of a church committee? The possibilities are just endless.

At times, we all have been grinches. Thank goodness that God loves us despite our faults! Ephesians 2:8 says “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—.”

During this Christmas season, we need to allow our own hearts to grow and swell with love and gratitude for God’s wonderful gift of salvation for us, for we are truly blessed to have a Savior who accepts us all.