Restoring broken relationships starts with practicing the same forgiveness we receive from God, as Karin Hadadan explains. In the same way, Rebecca Simon’s Finding God Every Day reveals how finding God in ordinary moments makes it easier to show grace. Step into His peace and be encouraged by this devotion.
Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Colossians 3:13
When someone wrongs us, our natural inclination is to respond with the same energy they’ve given us—to stoop to their level, to punish them, to make them feel the pain we’ve felt. As human beings, our feelings of anger, frustration, and irritation are warranted. However, these emotions also invite us to explore what breaking these patterns might look like as we strive to embody Christ’s forgiveness—so that we can restore relationships and strengthen our communities.
The two commands—bearing with others and forgiving them—demonstrate the model of true forgiveness. We first learn to bear with someone by developing patience and tolerance for their behavior, weaknesses, and quirks. From that place, we naturally discover compassion and grace, recognizing that others are also doing their best in their human experience. We come to realize that we are all one—we too have behaviors, weaknesses, and quirks that we may not even recognize.
While forgiving someone is difficult, especially when they’ve caused us deep pain and suffering, authentically releasing resentment is necessary—not primarily for them, but for our own hearts. It is through the act of forgiveness that we most closely resemble God’s character. If God can forgive each of us for our sins, we must learn to do the same for those before us.
Thank you so much for reading our writing. Rebecca Simon is the author of the daily devotional Finding God Every Day: 111 Devotionals For Women Healing Through Faith and the best-selling Let Go, Trust God. If her words spoke to you today, a copy of either book is the kindest way to support her writing and the work we publish at Thought Catalog.
