Colossians 3:12-13
“So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.”
As the director of women’s ministry for a church where we were members many years ago, I was sometimes enlisted to provide oversight for church-wide functions when the hospitality coordinator was unavailable. For one such event, I had a visual picture in mind for the placement of tables that would offer efficient traffic flow for the large crowd that was anticipated. Written directions were left for a friend, a member of the hospitality team, who was in charge of beverages that either she did not understand or chose not to follow. My reaction upon seeing the set up was not full of grace and the poor woman, obviously stunned by my reaction, left in tears. The next day I sought counsel from an older woman who without hesitation said, “Marsha, take off your scarf, put on some jeans and get over there to apologize!” What she was really saying was, “Take off your fancy clothes, humble yourself, put on a heart of compassion for this poor lady you hurt and ask her for forgiveness!” Thank the Lord the friend was gracious and forgiving and all was well in the end.
When we have a conflict with a friend we need to be willing to take the initiative to bring reconciliation. Even if we fear rejection, it’s important to ask ourselves if this friendship is valuable enough to try to salvage. If the answer is ‘yes,’ move ahead. In forgiving and accepting the other, we are following God’s amazing example.
When God sent Jesus, He was disregarded, abused, humiliated and rejected and, despite all of that, He chose to die for our transgressions. When we place our faith in Him, we are saved by His grace and He calls us His friend. When we confess our transgressions, He not only forgives, He never holds them against us again. Our most precious friend, Jesus, teaches us that when we forgive one another, we are merely passing along the favor of His redemptive grace.
Father in Heaven, we praise You for Your amazing grace that forgives and forgets all the ways we disappoint and grieve You. Help us to be the kind of friend who is quick to ask for forgiveness when we know we have offended another. Please give us the humility of heart to also offer grace to friends who disappoint us. In Your gracious, forgiving name, Amen.
~ painting by Daniel Ridgeway Knight
