| Yesterday's Bible Study |
In this verse from Colossians, Paul speaks about the importance of forgiving each other. Regardless of the offense against us, we are expected to forgive those who hurt us … just as Christ forgave us. Today, we'll think about why forgiveness is so important and how we can use it as an opportunity to reflect on the kindness that the Lord has shown us.
I'll be honest--I struggle with forgiveness. Sometimes a memory of how someone hurt me five years ago jumps into my mind out of nowhere, and it's like someone spilled hot grease all over me. It takes me a minute, and then I try to give it to the Lord, again and again. He meets me where I am, reminding me that I do not have to understand why someone hurt me, but instead, to forgive them and rest in His love for me.
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While forgiveness involves our relationships with other people, it is ultimately between us and the Lord. Paul reminds us in this Colossians verse that Christ has forgiven us, so we should forgive others. We do not forgive others because they deserve it, but because we have also been forgiven. This is why withholding forgiveness is a sin against the Lord. It's ignoring the unfathomable kindness that He has already shown us through Jesus.
When forgiving is difficult, remember that the Lord doesn't expect you to be able to do it relying on your own strength. He invites us to involve Him in every aspect of our lives, especially when we're struggling with forgiveness. We can ask the Lord to help us. We can tell Him all the reasons why we're finding forgiveness to be so hard, and ask Him to heal us of the wounds we've endured. He cares about our pain, and He loves justice. He will tend to our hearts so that we can forgive, reminding us of the great forgiveness that He has already shown us.
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