Living in Full Forgiveness | Thursday
Week 4 | Dropping The F(orgiveness) Bomb!
Listen instead of reading
Take a Moment
Ask God what He wants to show you before reading today
Read The Daily
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32)
Post by Alisha Miller
Forgiving others comes pretty easy to me, but I read a story recently that made me question if that would be true for me in all circumstances. This story is so profound, and shows what living in full forgiveness really is.
After a long shift at the fire department, Matt Swatzell fell asleep while driving and crashed into another vehicle, taking the life of pregnant mother June Fitzgerald and injuring her 19-month-old daughter. Fitzgerald’s husband, a full-time pastor, asked for the man’s diminished sentence—and began meeting with Swatzell for coffee and conversation. Many years later, the two men remain close. “You forgive as you’ve been forgiven,” Fitzgerald said.
All I can say is “WOW!”. I don’t know Mr. Fitzgerald, but he sounds like the best human on the planet. Forgiveness can feel really difficult, especially when we’re hurt. Sometimes we want forgiveness to depend on getting an apology or making things even. But Jesus calls us to forgive without conditions because that’s what He’s done for us. He took on our sins and forgave us freely, without waiting for us to earn it. When we forgive others, we’re not gaining anything—it’s a response to the forgiveness we’ve already been given. By forgiving, we live out God’s grace and show we belong to His family. It’s not about making things fair but about living in the freedom Jesus gave us, knowing we’re fully forgiven and empowered to forgive others.
Prayer for the Day
God what are you showing me? What am I going to do about it?
God help me to see one person that I can serve through a kind word, random act of kindness, or simple gift today?
Make sure you complete the reading or comment today.
Read The New Testament In A Year
4 x 6 Plan | Read: Acts 10:9-33 & 2 John 1:1-13