"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Ephesians 4:32
Today is the Memorial Celebration for Sara Jean Williams Hall. This verse is her life verse. The title of my Eulogy today is "Live, Laugh, Love". I always learn something special when I prepare a message that illustrates the legacy of someone's life. Today I am reminded of the correlation between forgiveness and kindness and compassion. The kindest and most compassionate thing to do for anyone is to forgive them. Conversely, the most unkind and least compassionate thing to do to anyone is to not forgive them. "Grams" was one of the most forgiving people I have ever learned about.
This last verse of Ephesians 4 is followed by the first two verses of Ephesians 5 which say... "Be imitators of God therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Remember?, 'Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the foot that crushed it.' (Read that again, slowly please) If you have a hard time forgiving and hang on to hurt too long until the bitterness sets in, maybe you should just give that up for God. Jesus took on the sins of the world and forgave them all, past, present and future. Why can't we just give up our grudges and vendettas and petty issues just because it is the right thing to do? With God's help we can.
I have recently been collecting a few issues of my own and am deciding today to let them go. I am unbinding myself from hurts and disappointments and awkwardnesses that have me sidetracked and are the grounds for the roots of unforgiveness and eventually bitterness. I must move forward and be set free from what the enemy wants to use to keep me from living, laughing and loving. Ahhh, there is the point today, if we want to live and laugh and love, we must forgive. Even if it means forgiving yourself. After all, in Christ, God forgave you. He did the right thing. Let us all be kind and compassionate to everyone, including ourselves, and forgive. I think "Grams" would agree. I know I do, because I am forgiven and glad to be reminded of His grace again today.
Pastor Fred
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