“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10 ESV
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32 ESV
“The joy of the LORD is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10 ESV
I’ve often heard it said, “Today is what we make of it.” I believe that’s true. If we allow negativity, hate, bitterness, and unforgiveness to fill our hearts and minds, that will be what fuels our day!
Along the road of life, there will be people we will never understand. Not everyone will like us or want to be around us. Some may hurt us in various ways, but forgiveness is necessary because hard feelings buried alive will never die. Forgiveness is an act of the will; therefore, I believe it is impossible to forgive someone fully if we try to do it in our own strength.
So, how can we successfully forgive others and maintain the joy of the Lord versus harboring feelings of hurt, bitterness, and rejection? Staying on top of the game with a heart that sees only the best in everyone is not always easy. We are all human and live in a sinful, broken world. But if we feed on God’s Word daily and allow His love, forgiveness, compassion, kindness, and mercy to fill us, we will automatically look for the best in others versus the worst, not just what we see or experience on the surface. And we should never forget that everyone is fighting some kind of battle. Keeping that in mind will help us not to be so quick to judge or misinterpret their motives.
Throughout the many seasons of my life, I have been reminded of God’s marvelous act of forgiveness—a gift of grace none of us deserves, yet He chose to love us that much through our faith in Jesus Christ. Friends, you don’t forget that kind of forgiveness. Seeing life and others from the perspective of what Jesus has done for us will help us to find it in our hearts to forgive others. When we do, we will also find needed peace.
As followers of Jesus Christ, we are fueled by faith. When confronted with the need to show forgiveness to someone, we may feel too weary and broken to allow that to happen. But take heart and know this—there is joy in showing forgiveness. We need to do it for ourselves. When we forgive someone, we will experience a newfound freedom never dreamed of. The joy of the Lord will sustain us in all circumstances and through all seasons of life because there is joy in forgiving.
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, how marvelous You are! The strength that You pass on to us when we need it the most is a remarkable gift. Thank You for loving us that much! Please forgive us when we grow weary with others who do not know the joy of having Jesus Christ in their lives. May we always show love and kindness to them as You would have us to do. I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.
