Grace received helps to forgive

“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Col. 3, 13). I recently have thought about how forgiveness and grace received from God for ourselves helps us to forgive others. I find that those moments when we stumble undeniably, visibly or even publicly in some ways are opportunities to experience fresh grace and to be renewed in the forgiveness of God. Fresh grace received helps to forgive others in turn, knowing I stumble too. I also find that grace for someone increases if we have had difficulties in similar area. Maybe it has not been to the same degree or maybe it happened a while ago, but at least I am familiar and know more about the inside processes and dynamics involved in certain struggle. If we go on for some time without clearly messing up, we may get false sense of self-righteousness and be lulled into thinking we do not have problems or character challenges. That may make us harder and harsher on others when they wrong us in some way.

My weak spot, among others, is losing it in some situations when I am pushed by the circumstances, which often involves combination of tiredness and discomfort with some unexpected and unwelcome outside intrusion. Suddenly I may quickly get out of balance and act ugly. In late years, it often has happened when someone is disturbing my babies from sleep. I perhaps have spent long time and effort to make them fall asleep and now is my chance to get some work done or simply rest and do my own thing, when someone comes along, makes some noise and baby is up again! My reaction perhaps can be understood, but it still cannot be considered polite or considerate. Fresh grace can be experienced in asking God forgiveness, recognizing I did not manifest the fullness and completeness of His character and then being renewed and restored by Him. There may be areas where we fail again and again. Persistent faults of the character can be like strongholds which cannot be easily removed. At times this can be our condition or the condition of someone else. Having such helps us to stay in a humble place: “Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh” (2.Cor. 12,7).

Once when I prayed and praised God, I saw a splash of hearts washing all over me. God gives love, wisdom, and forgiveness generously and without finding fault, if we only come to Him. If we have experienced that for ourselves, it is easier for us to extend grace to others and to see a deeper level than just outside behavior.