It’s All About Love, Grace, and Forgiveness

I was so mad at her. She made me feel like I wasn’t doing my job., but I really was trying my best. I wanted to get out of there. I felt like I wasn’t good enough. I already had issues with self-esteem, and this just made me feel worse. Would I ever be good enough for any job with my fibromyalgia? What was I going to do? Should I just give up?

I hated feeling this way. I knew I wasn’t being the Christian I should be. I knew I needed to forgive her. But it was going to be hard. I worked with her every day. How could I forgive someone who constantly thought that I was not doing my job to the best of my ability? So I prayed, “LORD help me forgive her:” Nothing. Then I started praying something different…“LORD, help me love her like you do”. Every time I felt threatened by something she said or did, I prayed. It wasn’t easy. But the more I prayed, the easier it was to forgive because I was learning to love her like JESUS. During this process, I found out that she was going through some personal “stuff”. This changed my perspective a bit. The more I prayed for my feelings to change, the more I found that I needed to pray for situations she was going through. I was starting to show her grace because I was learning to love her. In turn, I was able to forgive her.

You see, even though I was hurt, my desire was to handle this situation the way JESUS would want me to. GOD answered my prayer by giving me a glimpse of HIS heart, a heart of grace, love, and forgiveness.

It’s all about love, grace, and forgiveness.

John 3:16 and 17 says it best: “For GOD so loved the world that HE gave HIS only begotten SON, that whoever believes in HIM should not perish, but have everlasting life. For GOD did not send HIS SON into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through HIM might be saved.” (NKJV)

We must love people to JESUS. We are not to judge. We don’t know the situations they have lived through or are currently going through. Just because people don’t live up to our expectations, doesn’t mean they are not worth loving. JESUS gave HIS life for ALL. Romans 5:8 says, “But GOD demonstrates HIS love toward us in that while were yet sinners, CHRIST died for us.” If it were not for GOD’s love, grace, and forgiveness, we would not even have a chance.

As Christians, we must love, show grace, and forgive. That is the heart of GOD, always has been, always will be. Hebrews 13:8-9 tells us that JESUS is the same yesterday, today, and forever and our hearts should be established by grace. If you have trusted JESUS as your savior, you have known love, grace, and forgiveness. Let this be our hearts toward others as well.