Devotionals

A gift is something that is not earned, paid for, or even deserved but instead given from a loving, generous heart. The greatest gift that we can ever receive is salvation from Jesus Christ. He offers this gift to anyone who will receive it. There is so much more to the gift of salvation than some people realize, and forgiveness is one of them. We have the forgiveness of sins because of Jesus' blood that was shed for us. There is no sin that God won't forgive us for when we ask for His forgiveness with a true repented heart. In this verse, Paul has reminded us that just as God has forgiven us, we should also forgive others who have done wrong against us. It's not easy to forgive someone, and it takes humbling ourselves to do so. Jesus, when He was hanging on the cross after being beaten, spit on, mocked, scorned, and His beard ripped out, cried out to God to forgive them. He showed us that no matter what someone does towards us, we should be quick to forgive because we will only end up hurting ourselves by holding on to that bitterness and resentment towards that person. As you go into the Christmas season, think of those you have not forgiven and ask God to give you a tender heart to forgive those even though it will not be easy. Remember, Jesus offers forgiveness towards us when we do Him wrong, and we should do the same toward others.