Imitators of Christ

(our them for October)

Colossians 3:13 

Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

We are all children of God and citizens of the planet Earth, but we are all different from one another. Sometimes those differences cause us to pass judgment, become angry, make accusations, and even seek retribution. Surely God knew how hard it would be for his children to bear with one another and forgive. And yet we are commanded “you must forgive.”

There have been times when I thought forgiveness was impossible. The one time I wanted to hurt another person – forget forgiveness – involved a person causing great physical and emotional harm to my daughter and granddaughter. I woke up at night filled with rage and weeping with helplessness and grief. The man who had promised to love and cherish my daughter was behaving in a way that threatened her physical health. That frightened me, but even worse, I could see my beautiful, smart, outgoing daughter fading away under the onslaught of false accusations and unfounded blame. 

Three years later, the situation was resolved in a way that allowed her to heal and find happiness. I had prayed constantly – for her safety, for God’s guidance in her life, for the man who was causing such havoc in all our lives to regain his faith and become the father my granddaughter needed and deserved. But I never thought of forgiveness.

As the years passed this man continued to flounder. He lost everything – his home, his profession, his family. At his lowest point, he even tried to take his own life. Only then did I begin to understand that not only did I need to forgive him, but I also needed to ask for forgiveness for myself. I had not recognized the depths of his suffering behind the awful behavior. He needed healing that only God could provide. I began to pray that he would recover and become the man God wanted him to be as well as the father my granddaughter needed. 

I prayed to be able to forgive him for all the pain he had caused, and I asked God to forgive me for the anger and ill feelings that had blinded me all those years. It has taken years more, and we still don’t live in perfect relationship, but I know God continues to love all of us in spite of our failings. I know He wants us to love and forgive one another. 

Let us pray:

Dear Lord, Thank you for all your gifts, especially forgiveness of our sins. It is only through you that we can live in harmony with others as you instructed us to do. Help us to see beyond the hurts and recognize the needs of others, even when they have caused us pain. Amen

This devotional was written by Pat Scruggs and read by Lisa Blackwood.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.