“As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” – Colossians 3:12-14
During Mother’s Day this past Sunday, I spent some time reflecting on my mother. She was a wonderful mother. She worked hard to provide a home for my family. She brought great joy to our lives through her thoughtfulness, hard work, and dedication to our family. She helped to build and establish a wonderful family-owned business. My Mom was strong. Most importantly, she took me to church, a gift I am forever grateful for, as she gave me the gift of faith.
Looking back on my mom’s life, I now know she endured great joy and tremendous hardship, and she did it with grace. In many ways, it was her faith that guided her. One of the things that amazes me about my mother was her willingness to forgive. In her personal life and at work, my mother experienced difficult times when she was truly wronged. These transgressions hurt her, made her angry, and sometimes caused real problems. Regardless, my mom would move forward, and she would forgive.
Forgiveness is the hallmark of our faith. First, we have been forgiven by God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. The story of our faith is the constant struggle of falling short of the life God intended for us and asking God for the grace to try again. God, in mercy, never fails to offer forgiveness. Secondly, we are reminded that because God so freely forgives, we too must forgive. When we hold back grace to others, we often keep them from being able to move forward in life and we always paralyze our own lives with bitterness and anger. Without forgiveness, we pause our own growth and hold back the great joy that is for us in life.
As we begin this week, I want to encourage you to offer forgiveness. Take some time to consider what anger and bitterness you are holding on to and offer it to God, who is the source of grace and mercy. Perhaps you need to spend some time in prayer and place your struggles before our Lord, or perhaps you need to go to a friend, family member, coworker, or neighbor and let them know it is time to move forward and offer both them and you the opportunity to live fully. Forgiveness leads to the fullness of life. It is about loving one another as God has loved us. Let us forgive that we may all live and love as God intends.
– Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
