Ephesians 4:32
Thoughts from Dayna Spaulding
Dive Deeper
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Ephesians 4:32
Behind the Scenes
I can be very judgmental when it comes to driving. As I drive along the highway, I look at someone going slower than me and ask why they are driving so cautiously? Don’t they know how to drive when it is snowing? When people go faster than me, I shake my head in dismay. How reckless! Don’t they see the conditions of the road? When someone cuts me off, I cannot believe it. They must have started their commute with the sole intention of getting in my way. When I make a mistake, however, I give the ‘I’m sorry’ wave and that should conclude the matter. I’m a good driver so forgive me my momentary lapse.
There are several things we could unpack and analyze here about natural human tendencies, but today’s theme is forgiveness. It is very human to judge others for the same wrongs we ourselves commit. In fact, we can be very blind to our own faults while we are very quick to see the error in others. As Christians, we believe that all humans have committed sins against God’s standard. We also believe that God loved us so much that he took the punishment on Himself. God’s Son, Jesus Christ, died a horrible death on the cross to satisfy justice for all of humanity’s wrongdoing.
In other words, we have been forgiven. When we keep this in mind as we go through our day, it is very powerful. When we feel like bad students because our grades are low, or we feel like failures as parents because we yelled at our kids without reason, or we gave into an addiction, keep in mind that all our failures past present and future have been forgiven by a loving God. When God looks at us, He sees a totally forgiven child that He loves and values.
But, having received this forgiveness, God want us to extend it to others. The Apostle Paul reminds us of this fact in today’s verses from his letter to the Ephesians. As followers of Christ, as children of God, we are called to love one another. Love means forgiveness just as God forgave us due to the work, life, death, and resurrection of Christ. None of us are perfect and we will commit transgressions against one another. Forgiveness helps to heal a relationship when problems arise. And forgiveness helps to free us from anger and bitterness. What does this look like in a practical way?
Make it Real
It helps to regularly meditate on the fact that we have received God’s forgiveness. Believing and living out this fact gives us an awesome sense of security and love as we deal with our failures. As we absorb the truth of God’s love and forgiveness, we start to step into our new image, our new life, based on our decision to make Jesus Lord of our life.
As new creations, we are called to make our lives like Jesus. Jesus lived his life as the perfect image of God. We are called to copy Jesus. Now, this is impossible in our own power. That is why God sent His Spirit to live within us and help us grow more and more like Jesus. Jesus loved people and was compassionate towards them. We do the same. Jesus forgave people. We are called to do the same.
This is not easy. It is easy to forgive people and do away with our selfishness in cases like driving on the highway where the offenses are small. However, it is a lot harder when we deal with hurts that are more significant. This process takes a lot of wisdom and counsel from godly friends. Forgiveness does not mean placing ourselves in a situation where we allow abuse or hurt to continue. It does mean healthy processing of that pain. This could be achieved with the help of God through reflection, prayer, and conversations with friends. Or it could be achieved with the help of God through professional counseling.
Forgiveness is not easy but once we do it, we experience a freedom and healing from hurt and bitterness. By doing it, we learn to live by the Spirit and glorify God. Jesus initiated the Kingdom of God within the world and that means that things are being healed and restored to God’s ideal standard including our relationships. This process will not be completed until Christ returns to earth in body one day, but we can experience the start of that healing in our own relationships right now. Often, that healing begins with the process of forgiveness.
Johnny Spence
ACF Devo Team
End in Prayer
Father, thank you for your grace and forgiveness of my failures and the ways that I have failed to glorify your name. Help me, through your Spirit, to live a life of compassion and love towards others. Help me be wise and forgive others so that I can continue to grow to be like Jesus and that I can experience healing in my relationships. Give me the power to do this so that your name may be glorified. In Jesus name, Amen.