Following God's Way to Forgiveness - Encouragement for Today - July 23, 2019

Peace and perspective from God's timeless truths. [View this email in your browser]( Encouragement for Today --------------------------------------------------------------- July 23, 2019 Following God's Way to Forgiveness [LAUREN DUNGY]( [Listen to this devotion]( “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” [Colossians 3:13]( (NLT) When I was 10 years old, I did something unkind to my brother, Averell. It was a hot summer day, and he’d claimed the last Coke in the refrigerator. I asked him to share it with me, but he refused. When he was distracted by a knock at the door, I decided to help myself to a few sips. He immediately noticed and was upset. I knew it was wrong, so I apologized and expected him to say, “That’s OK. It’s not a big deal.” But to my surprise, he was very distraught, and it took him a long time to get over it. It seems silly now, but for the longest time, all I wanted was for him to forget about my actions and forgive me. Looking back, I shouldn’t have been critical of him being upset, because I often find myself doing the same thing. Someone will do something that hurts my feelings, and it takes me a long time to get over it. Sometimes the person doesn’t even realize they’ve offended me. But I can hold on to the hurt and let it hinder a relationship with someone I love. The Bible says we can’t let that happen. Life is all about relationships, and because we humans are not perfect, even people who love us are going to hurt us. The question is, “How will we respond when we get hurt?” [Colossians 3:13]( says, “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you.” The first thing to do is understand that even the godliest people we know aren’t perfect. They do things we might not think are right. If and when that happens, we’re to be gracious and loving and explain to that person why we’re offended. The verse then says to forgive anyone who offends us. That’s very straightforward, and most of us who read this passage would understand that it’s not just good advice; it’s a command. God expects us to forgive each other. Knowing we should forgive someone doesn’t make it any easier, especially when it’s something that really stings. My usual response is, “I can forgive a lot of things, but I can’t forgive that!” The second half of [Colossians 3:13]( has the perfect answer: “Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” God has forgiven us, and not just for the small, insignificant things — He forgave us everything. Jesus died on the cross to forgive every offense you and I have ever committed against God or our fellow humans. If we’ve accepted Jesus as our Savior, God has already forgiven us, without hesitation or exceptions. Whatever we’ve done and whatever our motivation was, He forgives us. And He expects us to do the same. [Continue reading...]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( [Read about Salem Web Network]( | [Subscription Preferences]( | [Unsubscribe]( --------------------------------------------------------------- © 2019 Salem Web Network. All rights reserved. 111 Virginia Street, Suite 500, Richmond, VA 23219. This email is never sent unsolicited. You are receiving this email because your email address, {EMAIL}, is signed up to receive newsletters, updates, and special offers from Encouragement for Today. [Link](