Todd Johnson
Family Pastor
Ephesians 4:32
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
I have always considered myself a friendly person and try to speak to everyone as well as make people feel comfortable around me. Where I struggle is the whole forgiving others when they have wronged me. Reading this verse convicts me of this part of my life that I have a hard time giving over to the Lord. There have been a couple of times in the last ten years where I had two different people hurt me to the core and it’s difficult for me to want to forgive them. It’s especially hard when that individual doesn’t think he did anything wrong and isn’t asking for forgiveness. I still have to put my bitterness at Christ’s feet and ask Him to help me have a forgiving heart.
This verse also reminds me that God forgave me of my sins, and I know that I have done some horrible things in my lifetime and hurt many people. If He forgives me, I must forgive others. How can I truly live a life for Christ if I don’t forgive others? I want to be kind, tenderhearted and forgiving. I can only be those things with the help of my Savior. The closer I grow to Christ, the more I will be able to be forgiving and love others. Is there someone you need to forgive? What is keeping you from doing that? Ask God for His strength and boldness to do what is right. Let your light shine to others so that they may see Christ in you.