Meet The New YouUzorak

Be...and Forgive

Be kind.

Be compassionate.

Do you notice that small two-letter word, be? Well, it is quite a significant of word, especially when you pair it with kind and compassionate in the context of this verse. God is calling us to take action in the way we treat others. It’s not a passive response in our relationships, but rather a deliberate choice. We have to move forward, move toward, in pursuit of being something that is not our nature.

Be kind when she spoke harshly to you. Be compassionate when he deserves a tongue-lashing. Be kind when you’d rather stick out a foot to trip them. Be compassionate when you think they ought to be punished.

Being kind and compassionate is more than just a good idea. It’s critical to an important action step we must take: moving forward in forgiveness. God commands us to forgive, urging us to embrace this process in light of the forgiveness He has poured out on us in Christ Jesus.

Forgiveness sets us free to live the full life God promises us (John 10:10) without being chained to the wounds that bind us up. Forgiveness is not forgetting. On the contrary, forgiveness is acknowledging the pain and injustice while trusting God to have the final say. Getting to the place of forgiveness begins with a demonstration of kindness and compassion toward those who hurt us.

Oh yes, that is hard! Sometimes it feels impossible and maybe even feel like the wrong thing to do, especially in the case of violence. However, kindness can simply be not wishing ill on a person. Compassion can simply be looking a person through God’s eyes. Neither of those acts requires you to be in contact with the offender, and yet both of those steps will set you free from their stronghold of the pain they caused.

Trap and Transform

1. How has God demonstrated kindness and compassionate toward you?

2. Who is God calling you to express kindness, compassion, and forgiveness towards?

3. What steps can you take in moving forward with kindness, compassion, and forgiveness as a daily practice?