Title: A Heart of Forgiveness
Key Passage: Ephesians 4:32 – “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Message:
Few things are more difficult for the human heart than forgiveness. When we have been wronged or deeply hurt, our natural instinct is to hold on to bitterness, to demand justice, or to desire revenge. Unforgiveness is a heavy burden that chains us to the past, poisons our present, and hinders our relationship with God. It feels like we are punishing the other person, but we are often the ones who suffer most.
The Bible’s command to forgive is not based on whether the other person deserves it. It is not dependent on them apologizing or even acknowledging their wrong. The motivation and the model for our forgiveness of others is rooted in the forgiveness we have received from God. The standard is breathtakingly high: “just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Think about the depth of God’s forgiveness toward us. While we were still sinners, actively rebelling against Him, Christ died for us. His forgiveness was unearned, costly, and complete. When we truly grasp the immensity of the debt we have been forgiven, it changes our perspective on the debts others owe us. We forgive not because they deserve it, but because we have been shown an immeasurable grace, and we are called to be conduits of that same grace to others.
Application:
Is there someone in your life you are holding unforgiveness against? You don’t have to start by feeling forgiving. Start by making a choice. In prayer, tell God that you choose to forgive that person, not based on your feelings, but in obedience to Him and in light of the forgiveness He has shown you. Ask Him to do the healing work in your heart.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for the incredible, undeserved forgiveness you have shown me through Jesus Christ. I confess that it is hard for me to forgive others when they have hurt me. Right now, I choose to obey you. I release [name the person, if possible] from the debt I feel they owe me. I choose to forgive them, just as you have forgiven me. Heal my heart from bitterness and help me to walk in the freedom of forgiveness. Amen.
Here are devotionals 6 through 20, continuing in the same format:
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