“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 13:34-35
Can you forgive? Do you have someone in your life who is difficult, even hard to love? Have you ever had someone hurt you or offend you and found it seemingly impossible, to forgive them? Have you ever made a mistake in your own life that you have trouble forgiving yourself? If so, here is some good news for you to help you hop over the hurdle of un-forgiveness, both with yourself and others. God has made a way for you to forgive, if you choose to take it…
“If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
John 20:23
Forgiveness: Our Greatest Challenge
For many Christians, forgiveness is their greatest challenge. At times, it may be tempting to lord the mistakes and failures of others over them. But as Christians, we don’t really have that luxury. We need to treat others the way we want to be treated by God. That is, if we want to be forgiven, we need to forgive. For our God is, among other things, all loving, forgiving, compassionate, and merciful. One of our greatest challenges in this life is to choose to offer grace, mercy and unconditional to love others, regardless of what they have done to hurt or offend us. We must try to emulate Jesus, the Only Son of God, who died on the cross for our sins, The One who radiated and exemplified forgiveness.
As life unfolds, we need to recognize, and revel in, the mercy that God provides freely for each and every one of us. Where would we be without God’s divine mercy and grace in our daily lives? Perhaps it is also a good time to take stock in our own capacity to extend mercy—forgiveness, actually–to others. For we are all called to extend mercy and forgiveness to others, just as God does so generously for us. If we are unwilling to forgive, we may unwittingly place ourselves and others in a sort of spiritual, emotional, even physical peril, as unforgiveness can cause medical and mental health issues if left to fester.
“God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work.”
2 Corinthians 9:8
Time to Shine a Light on It
“God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.”
I John 1:5
Divine mercy is actually God’s Love, compassion and forgiveness in motion. Certainly God has the divine capability to offer us mercy when we sin against Him and others. However, despite what some have been told or may think, our God is a loving, kind & merciful God. Slow to anger, and His Love, mercy and grace He lavishes upon His flock knows no bounds. In fact, these 3 are some of the finest gifts that God provides for all of mankind.
“So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it.”
Romans 9:16
“When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit…”
Titus 3:4-6
© Copyright 2022 | Adele M. Gill
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The Inspiration Café Blog & Podcast
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Do you have someone in your life you need to forgive? Sometimes it can be hard to do, but with God's help, there is always a way…
PODCAST: https://www.theinspirationcafeblog.net/podcast
