Daily devotion – The joy of forgiving and being forgiven!
There Is No Perfect Church
We are all in search of the perfect something — the perfect weather, job, car, holiday, spouse, or even the perfect day!
Many people even seek the perfect church, filled with perfect Christians. The problem is, we Christians are not perfect — and we don’t become perfect when we join together in a church. In God’s plan, churches are meant to reflect Jesus Christ.
When we come to Christ, we commit our lives to Him, and God accepts us just as we are. That is the wonder of God’s grace. We love and appreciate what grace means because we know how often we fall short — yet His grace remains with us.
But do we, as imperfect believers, extend that same grace to others? Do we forgive, do we forget, and do we continue to love as Christ loves us? It’s often amusing, and sometimes sad, how easily believers can get a “bee in their bonnet” over someone who has caused a hiccup in their life.
At the end of every wedding ceremony, after I have announced a couple to be husband and wife, I always pray for God’s blessing upon their marriage — that their home and relationship be filled with grace and forgiveness. Because there will be times when they hurt one another, are unkind to one another — often without even realising it. Yet being forgiven is one of the most wonderful experiences. It draws us closer and reminds us afresh of what Christ has done, and continues to do, for each of us.
Jesus told a story about a man who was forgiven of a great debt but then refused to forgive someone who owed him a mere fraction of that amount (Matthew 18:23–35).
There is no perfect church — but there are churches filled with people who know they have been forgiven and who worship the One who has shown them grace. Let us be like Christ: gracious and forgiving, not like the “unforgiving servant.”
We may shake our heads at that servant’s lack of mercy and wonder how he could be so cruel and unkind — but today, do we harbour resentment or hold to account someone who “owes us”?
Let’s release them — and walk in the same grace that Jesus has freely given to us.
We may not be perfect but we can live to be more like Christ!