Today’s reading is from the book of Romans, chapter 15.
Understanding others is a difficult thing. As individuals, we have opinions, preferences, life experiences, and beliefs that dictate how we react to various situations. Emotions dictate how we process challenging relationships, challenging people and circumstances that may be difficult or maybe even impossible to understand.
In fact, our emotions many times dictate entirely how we react.
Are you hurt? Are you sad? Are you angry? Are you disappointed? Are you tired of (fill in the blank)?
Factoring in emotions, we then layer on the type of individual that we are having trouble with.
Are they family? Are they your spouse? Are they your co-worker? Are they your boss? Are they your neighbor?
Our reaction to be upset or mad may differ depending on our relationship with the individual(s). Friends can sometimes be just like family. Family can sometimes feel like they don’t know or understand you, or perhaps never tried to. Bosses put you in a nearly impossible situation as your livelihood may depend on maintaining or preserving your relationship. And nothing speaks to being more uncomfortable than when you must see your neighbor every day at the mailbox or retrieving their trash cans.
Romans 15:5 says, “Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be likeminded toward one another, according to Jesus Christ.”
The wonderful thing about our faith in Jesus Christ is that through the scriptures and His example, we can model our lives after Jesus, who was the only perfect person to live on earth. We can know that Jesus walked this earth and experienced emotions like pain, suffering, sadness, disappointment, and yes, even anger. Through all this, Jesus still loved everyone that He saw and He witnessed to the worst of the thieves, tax collectors, and prostitutes to save them from a life of sin and angst.
So back to understanding others. The truth is we may never know. We may never know why a family member accused you of something you didn’t do. We may never know why your parent never tells (or told) you they love you. We may never know why a co-worker talks behind our back. Or we may never know why a neighbor is constantly causing issues in the neighborhood.
What we can control is our emotions and how we allow ourselves to react. We can turn to our Lord in prayer and pray for peace, patience, and to helps us manage how we react. A great quote from fellow Bible Journal writer Jon Harris’ October 22 post was,
“The more I became focused on praying for mercy, grace and healing in the life of the other person, the more I felt the much-needed grace covering me.”
The grace and peace our Lord provides knows no boundaries. The worst of situations have proven to be overcome through faith in Jesus Christ. The unimaginable is overcome. The most unforgivable acts are forgiven, but maybe not forgotten. The true peace and mercy that comes over us in transgressions of others can only be granted and given by God.
Philippians 4:5-7 says…
5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ.
Perhaps your forgiveness of others might not mean the recovery or repair of a relationship. Maybe the hurt and pain will always be there. The damage has been done. But the people around you might benefit from seeing your grace, the granting of your forgiveness, and the example of seeing you “move on.” Perhaps your forgiveness, true forgiveness, allows the freeing of others related to the relationship, with release of the burden that surrounds the situation.
Forgiveness of others is not always just about us, but other people as well. May God grant us the strength, mercy, peace, and understanding how to overcome the most unimaginable circumstances and to forgive others in complicated relationships.
Comment on cover photo: symbolsage.com/symbolsofforgivenss: One of the most lauded flowers in English poetry, daffodils represent optimism, happiness, rebirth, and forgiveness. Recognized by their trumpet-shaped blooms and bright, yellow color, daffodils are typically given in a bouquet as it’s believed that a single daffodil represents bad luck and sadness. Daffodils convey the wish to start a new chapter, and look forward to a more hopeful, optimistic future. They’re the perfect way to say I’m sorry.
