This post is part of a 40-Day Prayer Journey through the season of Lent. Click here to learn more and read other posts in the series.
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).
Forgiveness is rooted in kindness and compassion.
I wonder if that’s why we can struggle with forgiveness at times.
When we’ve been wronged by others, our natural inclination isn’t to respond with kindness or compassion. No, our natural inclination is to respond in kind—to get back at those who hurt us, to say or do something that hurts them just as much, or treat them as they treated us.
Forgiveness goes against the sinful selfishness rooted deep in our hearts. And the only way we can truly be kind and compassionate to one another—the only way we can truly forgive each other—is found in the forgiveness won for us by our Savior Jesus on the cross.
What did he say to his heavenly Father about those nailing him to the cursed tree, hurling insults, cheers, and mocking the Son of God?
Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.
Through his whole life in this sin-darkened world, Jesus showed perfect kindness and compassion, even to those who hated him. Even to those who didn’t deserve his forgiveness and love . . . which includes you and me. That was exactly why he came into this world. Because he came to make peace between sinful humanity and our righteous God.
We don’t deserve God’s forgiveness. If not for Jesus, we’d still be dead in our sins. We’d still be lashing out at God and at one another for self-perceived wrongs and slights against us.
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).
Dear Christian, may this verse from the apostle Paul to the Christians in Ephesus ever be in your hearts and minds. You and I have been forgiven so much by our Savior God.
Because of him, we can respond with kindness and compassion to those who wrong us. We can reflect Christ’s love for them. We can point them to the Savior who made peace with God for them and us—and we can forgive as God forgave us in Christ Jesus.
Is it difficult to forgive? Yes. Do we struggle to be kind and compassionate to one another? Yes. But when we falter and fail, we look to the forgiveness that Christ won for us on the cross. We repent and ask God to give us the strength and humility to keep striving to live as his children in this sinful world.
And in his Word and sacraments, our heavenly Father gives us that forgiveness, freely out of love for us, and strengthens us to live for him.
Today as you pray, ask that God would continue to instill in his people kindness and compassion for one another. Ask him to break down the barriers of hostility and self-centeredness, so that forgiveness may be freely given as he has forgiven us.
Did you enjoy this post? Subscribe for free devotional content every week!
Alex Brown is the marketing and content copywriter at Northwestern Publishing House. He has his Master of Divinity degree from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary and enjoys reading, writing, and spending time in God’s creation.
Leave a Reply