Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
How much better would this world be if we all practiced the forgiveness to which the Bible calls us?
Bible Verse
Ephesians 4:31-32 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
Forgiveness
Our God calls us to a life of forgiveness just as He offers to forgive each of us. God set the example of forgiveness for us to follow. While we were yet sinners, He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for us (Romans 5:8). You see, God does not ask us to do anything He has not already done. There is not anything our neighbor has done to us that we have not done, or worse, to God. We ignore God, we blaspheme Him, and we ignore His word. In the darkest hour this world has ever known, we delivered His Son to be executed for a crime He did not commit. Yet, through an abundance of grace we cannot possible understand, He made the ultimate sacrifice for the sins that we have committed against Him. And God still forgives us.
Application
We see a stark contrast in behavior outlined in these verses. And in these verses we are presented with a choice. We can choose to be filled with bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, and malice. Or, we can choose to be kind, tender-hearted, and forgiving. The choice is clear if we choose to have faith and trust God and Jesus. We should choose the path of forgiveness. After all, that is the path God chose to demonstrate through His Son. God leads us in the way we should go through the life of Jesus. If we choose to trust and follow Jesus, He will show us how to live a life of forgiveness and the righteousness that God the Father expects of His children. So, today we are faced with a choice. Will we choose the path of forgiveness toward our fellow man?
Are you stuck in a cycle of anger and bitterness toward someone or some group of people?
Are you willing to consider that our God calls us to a life of forgiveness?
Reflect on these verses and ask God to show you how to live a life of greater forgiveness.
Prayer
Lord God, thank You for the example of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Help me today to live the life of forgiveness to which I have been called.
If you want to know more about having a relationship with Jesus, see the resources: How to Know God and God’s Plan of Salvation.