His Forgiving Nature

“Tolerate the weaknesses of those in the family of faith, forgiving one another in the same way you have been graciously forgiven by Jesus Christ. If you find fault with someone, release this same gift of forgiveness to them.”  Colossians 3:13 TPT

This is such a powerful verse. It has a lot to say to us if we’ll take time to think about it. Jesus tolerates a lot of weaknesses that are bound up in us. He is patient beyond measure and asks us to follow His example. The only way we can forgive others the way Christ forgives us is to understand what His forgiveness looks like. It’s quite different than how we do it.

Christ not only forgives, He forgets. He goes after those that offend and refuse to accept Him, to offer them forgiveness. He doesn’t wait for the offender to make the first move. Jesus forgives knowing we will do it again. He doesn’t give up on us. Regardless of the number of times we sin, He continues to forgive. There is no waiting period or proof of change required to receive forgiveness. Jesus restores us and continues to partner with us. He puts His trust in us even after we mess up.

That’s not even a complete description of His forgiving nature but it’s enough to make me realize I have a lot to work on when it comes to forgiving others the way Christ forgives me. His forgiveness is a generous, gracious gift that I don’t deserve. Most importantly, I don’t have a right to withhold forgiveness from others.