Showing compassion, as these verses call us to, is fairly easy when the person reciprocates the same back to me — but loving and comforting those who have wronged me? Now that’s a different story. I wish I naturally had more grace when it came to addressing conflict in friendships, but the reality is I often immediately cast blame on the other person in order to justify my own thoughts or actions. It’s clear in both of these passages that we aren’t called to love, comfort, and forgive others out of our own accord…but instead out of a response from that which we have received. Lord, please help me when I’ve lost sight of my own brokenness and need for forgiveness, love, and comfort. I can’t love others around me well without first receiving the grace, love, and mercy You’ve freely offered to me.
“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.”
Colossians 3:12-13
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
2 Corinthians 1:3-4