Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies,
kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and
forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as
Christ forgave you, so you also must do.
~ Colossians 3:12-13
God has called us to be merciful and kind to each other, to be humble and
meek, to bear with each other and to forgive one another. Sometimes it's hard
to do. Pride steps in and demands acknowledgment of the wrong done to us, and
wants others to know how we were wronged. We refuse to forgive, certain that
we are right, and that the other person should be seeking our forgiveness,
which we will then graciously bestow upon them.
This is not how God would have us act. As Christians, we are to be humble and
meek, and set our pride aside. Maybe we are right, and the other person needs
to ask our forgiveness. God didn't make that a criteria for us to forgive
others - we need to forgive them the wrongs they've done us, even if they
never seek our forgiveness, and then keep that person in prayer, asking the
Holy Spirit to move in their life. We need to extend the mercy that was given
to us by God, or we become like the servant who was forgiven a debt of untold
millions, who then went out and persecuted the man who owed him 20.00, to the
point of throwing him in jail.
Forgiveness releases you from the bondage of pride and anger, and opens your
heart to the love of God. It isn't always easy, but it's worth it.
Unforgiveness gets down into your soul, and gradually hardens your heart,
pulling you away from God and His love. Ask God to show you who you need to
forgive today, and choose to forgive them. You may have to forgive them more
than once, but there will come a day when you've finally released the anger
and hurt, and fully forgive - and the weight you've been under will be
released.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
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