Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
One of the hardest things to do is to be kind and forgiving to people. Especially when those people have done you wrong. When someone mistreats you, the normal response is to get back at them. To hurt them like they’ve hurt you, to give them the silent treatment, or just do something to teach them a lesson. That’s what is considered normal. That’s how most people live their lives.
The Bible stands that on its head and tells us as Christians to be different. We’re challenged to not get back at someone, but to forgive them, just like God forgave us. Doing this isn’t normal, and it isn’t easy, but its what’s right.
And we can do it because God forgave us. We didn’t deserve God’s forgiveness, yet He gave it to us anyway. That means that it’s not too hard for us to forgive those who have mistreated us too.
However, that doesn’t mean that you have to be best friends with someone that hurt you or was unkind to you. It means that instead of spreading rumors about that person, or trashing their locker at school, you choose to drop it and let it go. Forgiveness isn’t saying that what they did or how they treated you was right, it’s simply choosing to stop the cycle of unforgiveness and hurt.
Forgiveness is letting the love of Jesus shine through you even when it’s hard. So challenge yourself today to push past what’s easy and choose to be kind and forgive others.
Pray: God, today I determine to forgive those around me who have hurt me. I choose to not get back or get even with them but to simply love them with your love. With your help, I know I can do it. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
