Giving Grace

READ: MATTHEW 18:15, 21-35; COLOSSIANS 3:13

Have you been hurt by something someone said to you lately? Maybe you were left wondering how they could have been so insensitive. In my own life, I recently experienced a family tragedy. To make matters worse, one of my relatives said something unkind to me.

I thought about how I should react. Should I just get angry and bitter? The verse Matthew 18:15 spoke to me: “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.” Instead of getting angry and complaining, I decided to let my relative know how I felt. Since we live far away from each other, I texted her. I simply let her know that, even though I assumed she had no intention of hurting me, I felt hurt when I heard what she said. We should instead pray about God’s will for my family. She realized her mistake and stopped all those unkind remarks!

In Matthew 18:21-35, Jesus tells a parable of a servant who owes a large debt to his master, but his master has mercy on him and forgives the whole thing! But then, this servant acts unmercifully, attacking a fellow servant who owes him a much smaller debt. Jesus calls us to be merciful and show grace to others. God has forgiven our sins, and so we should forgive others. I know that sometimes I say wrong things too, and God has forgiven me. I could have lashed out at my relative, but instead I chose to give her grace because God has shown me grace. We all need the grace of God, and I was glad this matter was resolved in a peaceful way.

It’s important to direct our focus on the grace of God and what He has done for us, and not on the people who have hurt us. For all we know, they may have already confessed their sin to God and received His forgiveness for what they did to us! In Ephesians 4:32, Paul says, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Let us think more about Jesus and His love and sacrifice for us. • Kelly Choy

• Have you ever told someone that their words hurt you? How did it go?

• Can you think of a time you said something you regretted? God has so much mercy on us, and through Jesus’s death and resurrection, He has already made the way for us to be forgiven. If you have the chance, consider apologizing to the person you said those hurtful things to.

But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” James 4:6 (NIV)