Read it: Philemon 8-22
Live it:
Have you ever had a fellow Christian treat you badly or unfairly? It hurts, and it’s especially disappointing because we expect better from our Christian family.
When we find ourselves dealing with a situation in which we have been wronged in some way, today’s cancel culture tells us to walk away and block them from our lives. However, the apostle Paul’s letter to Philemon gives us a Godly example of how we should respond.
As Christians, we are in a partnership (the Greek term koinonia), which means we are all equal partners who share in the gift of God’s love, grace, and forgiveness. Jesus died to reconcile us to God. The Bible tells us that we also should “be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God, through Christ, has forgiven [us].” (Ephesians 4:31-32 NLT)
Just because we forgive doesn’t mean we forget. Some experiences, whether good or bad, are etched in our minds forever. So how do we get freedom over those hurtful memories? The Bible tells us to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).
To do this we must separate the offense from the offender so we can forgive. True forgiveness requires us to surrender our pride and our right to be offended. No matter what they do, whether they apologize or not, we forgive by extending to them the same grace God extended to us.
“Your love for one another will prove to the world you are my disciples” (John 13:35 NLT). The world is watching how we treat each other. Our opportunity to shine comes when we follow Jesus’ example and choose to forgive one another, reconcile, and continue working as partners for the kingdom.
Kathie