Forgiving

 DEVOTION

THE LETTER TO THE EPHESIANS

FORGIVING

Eph 4:29-32

29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

NIV

If we have indeed left behind all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander as well as all other forms of malice, then we will be able to truly know how to be kind and compassionate to one another, as well as actually forgiving each other, just as in Christ God has forgiven us. We think the keyword that defines kindness and compassion is forgiveness. We think it would be nearly impossible if not completely impossible to show kindness toward someone if we harbored any unforgiveness in our hearts. What we need to examine is how we get into a state of unforgiveness. How can we live in Christ, accepting God’s forgiveness for all our sins, all our offenses against Him, and then turn around and not forgive someone who we think, or feel has offended us. Does unforgiveness stem from our over-exaggerated opinion of our importance, or as the scripture admonishes us not to think more highly of ourselves than we should. We are told in no uncertain terms by Jesus as Matthew records that if we forgive others when they sin against us, our Heavenly Father will forgive us. But if we do not forgive others for their sins, our Father will not forgive us for our sins.  That is about as cut and dried as it can get, for there is no plainer language than what Jesus told us about forgiveness. In addition, our acts of kindness and compassion, or rather our attitude of kindness and compassion are driven by never holding any offense against anyone. We cannot afford to harbor any ill feelings about someone who we think has offended us. That is another issue we need to consider. We might think someone offended us, but in reality, they did not do anything of the sort. The offense is in our minds and hearts and not in the actual actions or words of that other person. Why would someone purposefully try to offend us? Why would someone say to themselves, “Today, I am going to offend so and so”, or “They just think too much of themselves, so I better bring them down a peg or two by sinning against them and see if they forgive me”? Jesus is our example regarding humility, and if we want to be like Jesus then our humility will not allow any supposed offense against us to stick or prick our minds and hearts. Our humility we simply allow any type of offense that might occur to just pass on by, letting it slide right off, like water off a duck’s back. One more thought is still lingering within and that is that because God has forgiven us, and He is the “Most Righteous One”, then who are we, mere humans, who have no righteousness outside of Christ, alright with not forgiving.