Bible Verse: We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. 1 John 4:19–21 (NIV)
Scripture Reading: Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:13-14; 1 John 2:2
This will be a seven-day devotional where we take a close look at forgiveness and how we freely receive it from God and freely give it to others.
You may think forgiveness is a tall order to fill in some situations (and it is), but Jesus wants to help you. Scripture is full of instruction and encouragement regarding forgiveness.
First, we must understand the motivation behind forgiveness before we can get to its mechanics. It’s a humbling journey, but it’s necessary. For your heart to be open to forgive, your heart first needs to be open to being forgiven. You must see Jesus as the One who loved you and forgave you first, and then we can move on from there. This truth alone is life-changing – we can love others and forgive them because He loved us first.
As men, one of the toughest parts of forgiveness is deciding who makes the first move to forgive. Our ego gets in the way. We don’t want to show weakness or drop our guard, so we hold onto our grudges, waiting for the other person to accept the blame and make it right. The problem is that you might wait a very long time for restitution that never happens. The other guy has an ego too, of course, so you need to make the first move—like God did toward us.
God made the first move by loving us and forgiving us by sacrificing His Son, Jesus. He was by no means weak or naïve when He did this. His forgiveness is based on a decision, which was based on His benevolent nature. He now asks us to follow His lead and forgive others once we have been transformed by Him.
It’s no wonder “forgiveness” is one of the best words to describe Christians and Christianity. It’s one word that says so much about our relationship with God and others. God’s forgiveness empowers us to live a life of loving and forgiving others, especially when we make the first move.
Prayer: Father, as I begin exploring forgiveness in the Scriptures, help me to see the love and forgiveness You freely showed me through Christ. Thank You for empowering me to forgive those who wrong me in the days ahead. Help me follow Your lead and make the first move. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Reflection: Think about how you handle it when other people wrong you. Are you quick to forgive, or reluctant? Now, think about how easily you receive forgiveness from God through Christ. Is it hard to accept, or do you receive it with gratitude? Start seeing God as the One who made the first move toward you, and then think about some people in your life who may need you to make the first move toward them.
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