Note to Reader:
Thank you for making the journey through these ten weeks of Practical Forgiveness. As you practice the skills suggested in these devotionals, forgiveness will become a lifestyle that reflects your desire to love and serve the Lord.
To help you on your journey, I would love to send you a bookmark that lists all ten practice tips from the series. The bookmark fits most Bibles and makes a wonderful little gift. Contact me at judith@judithingram.com with your name, address, and how many bookmarks you want, and I will pop those into the mail for you.
May God bless and help you as you seek after his merciful nature.
Depend on God.
Forgiveness has been called an unnatural act. We humans instinctively hunger for justice that balances a wrongful deed with punishment that fits the crime. To forgo our right to vengeance seems to work against our very nature, yet it fits God’s nature perfectly. When we seek to be like Jesus, the Spirit reshapes our desires with a new, divine nature that makes forgiveness and loving our enemies possible. God never calls us to an unnatural task like forgiving without giving us the grace and means to obey him.
Ponder
Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)
Pledge
With God’s help I will yield my heart to the Spirit’s reshaping and depend on God for the resources I need to forgive.
Review
Practice #1: Forgive what you can.
Practice #2: Seek forgiveness from others.
Practice #3: Pray for your offender.
Practice #4: Speak carefully.
Practice #5: Encourage peacemaking.
Practice #6: Commit to honesty.
Practice #7: Humble yourself.
Practice #8: Imitate Christ.
Practice #9: Love because God loves.
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