As the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

Colossians 3:12-15, Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

My natural inclination does not read like this; it is only the fruit of the Spirit that can produce this in me. It’s especially difficult when we have justifiable complaints against others. We so easily lose sight of all that the Lord has forgiven us, and hold others to a higher standard than we hold ourselves. Even when we are not able to resolve issues with others, we are to bind everything together with love. This is the love shown towards us, when Christ took upon Himself the sin that so easily besets us; He who had no sin became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God! It’s at the cross that He showed us the true meaning of loving our enemies.

We thank You Jesus that while we were still enemies, You laid down Your life for us! Fill us with Your Spirit that we may love others with this same love, forgiving as we have been forgiven.

ESV Lectionary