Be Quick to Forgive

By:
Emily Miller

This time of year can be full of mixed feelings for everyone involved.

You may be finishing up with school for the semester, being faced with final projects, papers, and exams. Or you may be stressed with all the holiday planning that lies ahead. Either way, you are most likely feeling worn out, run down, and stressed out.

When we find ourselves extremely busy and stressed, not just during this time of year but year round, emotions tend to run high. This can lead to some emotionally charged conversations where things get said that normally would not.

I want to challenge you guys to take a step back whenever you feel an emotionally charged interaction occur, and try to see it from the other person's perspective. Everyone is going through something different.

This is why, especially around this time of year, we need to not be so quick to emotionally react whenever someone says something that may seem hurtful to us. Instead, we need to try and extend grace and forgive the other person. After all, God did no less for us.

For it is by grace that you have been saved through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift from God.

-Ephesians 6:8

God extended and keeps extending His gift of grace to us. As His followers, it is expected that we do the same.

This may seem difficult or challenging to do at times, especially when we might have a reason to be justifiably angry at someone. It may feel good to hang onto those negative emotions.

However, it feels better to let go and offer forgiveness. You will feel such an inner peace on the inside when you do.

So, this season and on into 2017, I would like to challenge you all to be quick to forgive.

Let go and let God, in more ways than one!

Blessings,

Emily