“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Eph. 4:32
Heavenly Father, it’s the ultimate contradiction, a Shakespeare-less tragedy, the non sequitur of all non sequiturs. Many of us who despise legalism with off-the-scale vehemence are quite capable of living as legalists in our relationship with others.
In our relationship with you, we cry “Hallelujah, it’s all by grace!“ But in our horizontal relationships, we too easily cry, “Holy Moses, it’s all by law!” People have to earn, then re-earn our acceptance, kindness, and delight. That’s not who we want to be, Abba. We know the Gospel better than that.
Not as doormats to be walked on, but foot-washers who get low—we are to root and fuel our relationships with others in your relationship with us, period. Our forbearance, forgiving, and kindness are to flow from the daily mercies and inexhaustible grace you give us in Jesus.
Father, forgive us for the moments—even hours and days, when our default mode is to repay indifference for indifference, stubbornness for stubbornness, coolness for coolness, chirpiness with chirpiness, pettiness for pettiness. We so look forward to the Day when we will be made perfect in love (1 John 3:1-3). But until that Day, grant us quicker repentances when we forget the Gospel and rehearse people’s failures.
Father, by the power of the Holy Spirit, keep us so alive to our union with Christ and fellowship with you that it will be difficult for us to remain in “elder son” mode (Luke 15). By your grace and Spirit, keep us aware of our belovedness in Jesus and our eye-logs in life. Thank you, Hallelujah, and So Very Amen.
