“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Eph. 4:32
Heavenly Father… is it fun, daring, cute, or a sign of early-onset-boredom? I don’t know why, but several of my above 50 acquaintances have decided to get a tattoo in this season of life. Though I’m not planning on it, if I did get a “tat,” I might get these three letters, KTF, put on the inside of my wrist. They summarize today’s verse—Kind Tenderhearted Forgiving—the way I want to be till I’m Home.
It’s how you love us all the time, Father, and it’s how you call us to love in our world, families, best friendships, biggest messes, and earnest longing for Jesus to return. Hasten the Day when we will be “made perfect in love.” Finally, fully, and forever we will love perfectly (1 John 3:1-1). Until that Day, grant us quicker repentances when we get triggered, annoyed, and prickly.
Make the Gospel unavoidably sweet and powerful when we feel under-appreciated, overlooked, and unfairly judged. Instead of having our “buttons pushed,” may our hearts be gentled by One who is gentle and lowly—Jesus.
Father—by the power of the Holy Spirit, keep us so aware of our standing in grace (Rom.5:1-2), our rootedness in your love (Eph.3:17), and our hiddenness in Christ (Col. 3:3) that it’ll be difficult to get stuck in self-pity or give “payback chill” and “retaliatory-snark” to anyone. KTF and So Very Amen.