I Am TransformedExemplo

God Is Merciful, So I Am Forgiving

We all make mistakes, and most of us learned the value of owning up to those mistakes and moving on a long time ago. There’s something else we should do nearly as often as we find ourselves owning up to our mistakes: forgive. Just like saying sorry, granting forgiveness is a necessary part of human existence. Why? Because we tend to let each other down on a regular basis.

Since we have been forgiven, we forgive. We have received mercy, so we show mercy. In his letter to the Colossian church, Paul put it this way: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (3:12–13).

God’s mercy is one of His defining characteristics. The prophet Jeremiah wrote, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22–23). And Paul said something similar in Ephesians: “Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved” (2:4–5). Throughout the Bible, we see that God is passionate about extending mercy to finite, fallible human beings.

As humans, we both give and receive mercy, forgiveness, and grace. But God only gives these things away. He doesn’t need to receive them because He never makes mistakes. Despite that, God doesn’t hold back when it comes to showing us the mercy we need. Think about it—if anyone could be stingy with their forgiveness, it’s God. But He doesn’t think or act like that. His nature is to be merciful, and He delights in granting us the grace and forgiveness we need.

Because God is so merciful to us, we can be generous with our mercy as well. We can be people who are quick to forgive, even when those we are forgiving are not exactly models of perfection. God sets the example for us by forgiving us when we don’t deserve it.

Who in your life needs forgiveness? Who needs mercy? And on the flip side, where do you need forgiveness and mercy? Make a conscious effort to incorporate mercy into everything you do today.