And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ. Ephesians 4:32 CSB

Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive. Colossians 3:13b CSB

We all know at least one person among our family or friends who remembers every offense or criticism, every wrong that anyone has ever done to them. They retell the offense and relive the hurt and the anger. They can’t let it go; they can’t forgive the offenders.

As Christians we have been forgiven by our Father God through Jesus. Every sin, every mean word, every offense, every wrongdoing is erased when we repent and ask for forgiveness. God now sees us as righteous. We are seen as His children without blemish. God, in His everlasting love, generous grace, and marvelous mercy, forgives us. It is like starting fresh.

And because of this wonderful gift of forgiveness, we are asked to forgive one another. That doesn’t mean it will be easy or happen in an instant. But we have a Friend who is an expert at forgiveness, God. Take your hurt to God. Tell Him your feelings and ask for His help to forgive.

When you forgive, you are freed from the anger, you are healed of the hurt. You choose to love and give grace and offer mercy to those who have offended you. You choose to be like your Father.

This week I want you to pick just one person that you have had trouble forgiving. You may have even said you forgive, but you can’t seem to let go of the hurt, the anger, or the replaying of the situation. Take it to the Lord. Talk to Him about it and ask Him to help you to forgive as He forgives you. I write this for all of us, I also have someone I need to truly forgive. Let’s work on forgiveness together.

I thank God for each of you! And I thank you for joining me this week as we choose to forgive because we have been forgiven by our Father God through Jesus.

Blessings and peace in forgiveness!