Practising forgiveness Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. —Colossians 3:12–14
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orgiveness is not something that takes place immediately; it is a process that needs time. Just like clothes, the qualities of forgiveness—compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and love—need to be donned every day, deliberately and purposefully (Colossians 3:12–14). Over time, with practice, they will become a part of us. Ultimately, forgiveness is a lifestyle. It is a conscious decision to be kind or gentle, and it cannot depend on whether we like the other person or not. Rather, it is only after being kind to others that we will begin to like them.
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But what does this decision look like in our daily lives and routines? What practical steps can we take in our efforts to forgive? Here’s some things you can do: Seek freedom. Forgiveness is the only path to freedom from bondage to the person you’ve been unable to forgive.
Remember that you were first forgiven. The foundation
of forgiveness is gratitude for God’s abundant mercy. Make a commitment to a lifestyle of confession and repentance as you put off sinful attitudes, worldly rationalisation, self-centred desires, and distorted motives every day.
