Be Forgiving

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BE FORGIVING

Hurt happens. We can get hurt both physically and emotionally. We can be hurt by words or actions. We get upset with others because of what they said or did. We wait for an apology but that doesn’t always happen. So we distance ourselves from them but the hurt never goes away. However, there is a remedy for hurt. It is called forgiveness. And we don’t have to wait on the other person to make the first move.

Rather than allowing our hurt to fester up and make us sick both emotionally and physically, we need to forgive. Waiting for the other person to apologize is not a prerequisite for forgiveness. Their apology may never come. We can’t wait for them. We have to be proactive and forgive them. If we don’t, resentment will eat us alive. We need to remember they are human just like us and make mistakes.
Just as God is willing and ready to forgive us, we need to be willing and ready to forgive others.

SCRIPTURE: Colossians 3:13 “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” (NLT)

ACTION STEPS:
1. Write who you need to forgive.
2. List what God’s word says about forgiving others.
3. Ask God to help you let go of resentment.
4. Remember to share God’s love as you show forgiveness to others.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, help us to forgive others just as You have forgiven us. We know no one is perfect. We understand we all have faults and say things we shouldn’t say. We want to obey You and make allowances for the faults of others and forgive them. Your word tells us we can’t be forgiven if we don’t forgive. Show us how to forgive others today and mend relationships. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

REMEMBER:
When we don’t forgive someone, we are judging them in our minds for what they did. God wants us to forgive others so we, too, can be forgiven.

Luke 6:37 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven.” (NLT)

When we forgive others, we can share God’s love with them.

Proverbs 17:9 “Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends.” (NLT)

God says if we don’t forgive others, we will not be forgiven.

FOCUS: Matthew 6:15 “But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (NLT)

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