Listen:
“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” (Colossians 3:13)
Reflect:
In the above verse, the Apostle Paul focuses on forgiveness as one of the cores to living a Christian life. We are a family of believers. The Bible says, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12 NKJV). We need to bear with one another as we were all created differently. The church is like a tapestry of fabric, we have to learn to live with each other so that there may be peace. There are things in others that we may find irritating, and they may also find us irritating so with need to bear with each other.
If one has a grievance against someone. We need to learn to forgive as the Lord forgave us. Jesus said: “So if you are offering your gift at the alter and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother and then come and offer your gift.” (Mathew 5:23-24) The Lord our God will convict you through his Holy Spirit if you have unforgiveness in your heart.
Nelson Mandela, the first black post-apartheid president of South Africa said “As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison.” And he knew something about forgiveness!
At the height of his agony, at the very moment when most victims of crucifixion might scream out in fury with a curse, Christ prayed for forgiveness for His tormentors, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).
Prayer of Response:
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for forgiving us on the cross and taking our punishment. Help us to follow your example of forgiveness.
Questions to Ponder:
- Why is it sometimes difficult to forgive someone you are closest to when they hurt you?
- Why is forgiveness liberating?
—Submitted by: Margaret Okello
Margaret’s career started as an educator, then she worked with international organizations including various United Nations agencies, among them the World Health Organization as an administrator. Her career gave her the opportunity to work with people from different parts of the world, including Africa, Asia, United States of America (USA), Australia and Europe. Margaret has worked with Lifesprings International Uganda as Dean of Lifesprings School of Ministry in Uganda, oversees Lifesprings retreats, conferences in Uganda and is a writer for Lifesprings Tuesday devotions. Margaret is a public speaker and a mentor to women and girls and assists in coordinating other NGO International projects in Uganda. Margaret is married and a mother of two adult children.