The Power of Forgiveness | Anchored in Hope Devotions

Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

Last week we looked at being kind to others, and that kindness is shown in our speech and in our actions. This week we will discuss what it means to be tenderhearted and forgiving.

Having a heart that is tender means a heart that is full of compassion and quick to be merciful to others. Christ is the perfect example of this.

Often, we see the phrase, “He had compassion on them.”

His compassion was demonstrated many times in the Bible, and one example was the feeding of the five thousand. He knew they had been following Him for several days and were very hungry. So, in His compassion He made sure they had food.

Like Christ we should have compassion on others. When we see a need in other’s lives, whether it be to encourage them through difficult times or maybe help with a financial or physical need, we should see if there is a way that we can be used by God to meet that need.

It is the mercy of God through faith that we can be forgiven of our sins. The most compassionate and merciful thing we can do is to tell others about Christ and how they can have their sins forgiven.

The last part of the verse focuses on forgiving others. This is probably one of the hardest things that God tells us to do.

Most likely all of us have had others treat us in a very bad way, sometimes verbally and even physically. If we are unwilling to forgive, we can develop a bitter spirit.

The reason we can forgive is because we have been forgiven by God, in Christ.

Psalm 86:5 “For you O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.”

Colossians 3:13-14 “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. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”

The verses before in Colossians 3 state the fact that believers were made alive in Christ, and that all our sins have been forgiven and nailed to the cross!

With so great a forgiveness, we should through the power of the Holy Spirit forgive others.

- Sherry Meyer