Colossians 3:13
‘Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. ‘
At first upon reading through this verse, it was the challenge of living this out which stuck with me. As I began to take a closer look, God spoke to me as if to say, take a closer look here. For some reason I got stuck on the word “allowance.” So I went to find the definition in hopes of gleaning a better understanding of the term. As I begin to dig in, I found what Merriam-Webster had to say particularly intriguing as it applies to this context. Merriam-Webster says an “Allowance” is
“…a sum regularly provided when it comes to personal or household expenses.”
I began to ask the question, what if we allowed or made room for forgiveness for those around us? How would our lives and the lives of those around us be different if we embraced this concept?
Important Points to Remember
- Forgiveness is not just something we do, it is part of who we are as believers
- Our forgiveness reflects the love of Jesus
- Our forgiveness frees us from the toxicity of unforgiveness
This has been and I believe will continue to be a challenge to live out. I certainly need this reminder daily. I hope it is beneficial for others as well.
Prayer:
Father, God show us just how much forgiveness we have already received. Use this thought to frame what we do and how we react to others. Give us the strength and compassion to make room for anyone who might offend us. Give us your eyes to see them and your heart to forgive them as we go about our day. Amen.
