Should I Forgive?

Posted on May 8, 2017 in Devotions | Tags: Colossians 3:13, Forgive

Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. (Colossians 3:13)

I arrived early at my church to help set up for an event. A woman stood crying at the opposite end of the sanctuary. She’d been cruel and gossiped about me in the past, so I quickly drowned out her sobs with a vacuum cleaner. Why should I care about someone who didn’t like me?

When the Holy Spirit reminded me how much God had forgiven me, I crossed the room. The woman shared that her baby had been in the hospital for months. We cried, embraced, and prayed for her daughter. After working through our differences, we’re now good friends.

In Matthew 18, Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a king who decided to settle his accounts. A servant who owed a staggering amount of money pleaded for mercy. Soon after the king canceled his debt, that servant tracked down and condemned a man who owed him far less than what he’d owed the king. When word got back to the king, the wicked servant was imprisoned because of his own unforgiving spirit (vv. 23–34).

Choosing to forgive doesn’t condone sin, excuse the wrongs done to us, or minimize our hurts. Offering forgiveness simply frees us to enjoy God’s undeserved gift of mercy, as we invite Him to accomplish beautiful works of peace-restoring grace in our lives and our relationships.

Lord, help us give our grievances to You so that You may turn them into something good. Make us ready to forgive completely and earnestly. Give us Your spirit of unity. Amen.

When I read this I remembered a time when someone I had known had lost a loved one, I felt compelled to reach out to them but I was faced with asking myself the exact same question, Why should I care about someone who I felt didn’t like me? It was in that moment The Holy Spirit also spoke to my heart and I chose to break down the wall of hurt and anger, I followed the leading of the Holy Spirit and you know something, it was in that moment we went from being just acquaintances to true friends and we are very close to this day. I never in a million years thought we would be as close as we are now, but God! My prayer today is that each and every person reading this today will choose to allow Him to accomplish beautiful works of peace-restoring grace in your lives and your relationships. God opened my eyes that day and taught me that YES He can and will, if you allow Him, accomplish beautiful works of peace-He continues to restore grace in my life and in my relationships. Thank You Abba Father!!

Have a wonderful day in The Lord!

Today’s Reading is Matthew 18:23-35