Ephesians 4:32

From June 18th of my "Truth for Today: A Daily Touch of God's Grace" by John MacArthur

God was kind and tender-hearted toward you, forgiving you even when you didn't deserve it. If you base your attitude toward people on what they deserve, you've missed the point. Don't yell at people, slander them, or get angry with them, even if they deserve it. Those who exemplify God's character are loving, kind, tender and forgiving. That's the kind of attitude God expects from those who are His new creations in Christ.

When I first read the bible verse, I did a mental eye roll and said, "I wish." I really do wish I had it in my to always be kind to others (even when they're not very kind to me), to always be tender-hearted (without being taken advantage of), to always be forgiving (even when someone hurts me or someone I love)...and then to do it like Christ forgave me?! Take about a lot to ask for. WAY TOO HUMAN FOR THIS TASK.

Then I read John MacArthur's input on the subject. He has a good way of putting things into perspective. He's right. God did ALL of those things and OH-SO-MANY more for me...and I TOTALLY don't deserve it. I prove every day why I don't deserve it. But he did it anyway. And He's God. He's the King! And he would do that for someone as lowly and undeserving as ME.

The very LEAST I can do is to pay it forward. Whereas there is a HUGE gap between the goodness of God and little-ol'-me, the people that hurt me aren't all that different from me. The stretch for me to forgive my offenders isn't nearly as vast a reach as the one God made to love and forgive me. And the fact is, I'm sure there are times when my offenders didn't intend to hurt me at all. Maybe they were having a bad day and I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or perhaps I was simply too critical or sensitive to something they did or said. Why doesn't it cross my mind to first try to understand, to be kind, to forgive?

If that's the kind of attitude god expects from me, then that's what I'm going to work on.

God, help me to be kind to others, tender-hearted, forgiving others, even as You forgave me. Amen.