Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Eph. 4:32 ESV
Dear heavenly Father, this is another one of those “post-on-the-front-of-the-refrigerator” verses. No matter the circumstances, story, or details, you call us to respond grace-fully in our relationships—when it’s easy and when it’s not. Not as doormats to be walked on, or as those in denial about reality, but as children in whom you delight, and upon whom you have set your unwavering favor and endless affection.
Father, forgive me for the moments—even hours, when my default mode is to repay indifference for indifference, stubbornness for stubbornness, coolness for coolness, wise crack for wise crack, and/or pettiness for pettiness. I want to love as you love me in Jesus, period.
I SO look forward to the Day when I will be made perfect in love (1 John 3:1-1); but until that Day, grant me quicker repentances when I get annoyed and prickly; a softer, kinder heart when I feel prevailed upon or used; gospel responses, instead of defensive reactions, when I experience the outworking of someone else’s difficult and frustrating day.
Father, by the power of the Holy Spirit, keep me SO aware of my union with Christ—and all the riches of grace that come with it, that it will become increasingly difficult for me to love poorly, no matter the provocation, prodding, or personality. So very Amen I pray, in Jesus’ kind and loving name.