Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
- Ephesians 4:31-32
So this past weekend, I had my first official disagreement with my mother-in-law. The topic of the disagreement is irrelevant, but ultimately I felt that she seems to think that everything that is imperfect in our relationship is because somehow because of me. This set off a whole array of pent up bitterness that I had towards her--whether it was things that happened as recently as our rehearsal dinner or things that happened years ago. While I don't think that I will ever get my mother-in-law to realize that there were some nasty things she had said to me or insensitive behavior she had displayed towards me, reading this verse made me understand (although honestly, I wish I didn't, but I guess the Holy Spirit enables me to comprehend God's word as found in the Bible) that I need to forgive her, even if it's her fault.
It's easy for me to say "Oh, she's not saved," or "It's her fault--why do I have to do this?" or "Well, she needs to approach me first and we need to resolve this before I forgive her." BUT God doesn't say that in these verses. There are NO conditions set for "all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice" (4:31). God doesn't say, IF someone apologizes or realizes they are wrong or makes up for whatever they did to you, then you can put away all these things. He makes it very clear to us that we need to put away these things regardless of the circumstances.
Again, the same goes for verse 32. There are no conditions required for us to be called to "Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other
as God in Christ also has forgiven you" (4:32; emphasis mine). Why should I be kind to her? Tender-hearted towards her? Forgive her? Because God has forgiven me in Christ--His perfect life, His atoning death, and His defeat of the Devil and his schemes in Christ's resurrection on the third day. Because of all that Christ has done for me, and every sinner whom God has redeemed in this world, God has forgiven me. No righteousness of mine (for all my righteousness are as filthy rags) can earn God's forgiveness. IF God has forgiven me based on the works of Christ, and not mine, I am called to forgive my mother-in-law because God has forgiven me, regardless of whether or not I "deserve" it.
Honestly, I am a prideful person. I am sensitive person. I am a person who thinks more highly of herself that she actually is. I am not saved by my works, I am saved by Christ and His righteousness. I have been saved by God's grace and mercy towards me. And I am called to forgive others. It's easy to say that I am not God, therefore I don't have 1) the strength; 2) the will; 3) the patience; 4) [insert excuse here] to forgive people who have hurt me or "wronged" me before. But God has given me the Holy Spirit, who enables me, gives me strength, and gives me knowledge about God through the Scriptures--I have no excuse to not forgive others. I guess I need to pray more for God's strength, grace, and mercy so that I can learn to forgive others, especially if I don't want to. And trust me, I'm resisting this as much as I can--and I realized today at work that it's making me miserable and completely unable to be an effective witness of God's gospel of grace and mercy and truth. Bitterness and sin really makes me a person no one wants to be around. Until I let go, by God's strength, of this bitterness and anger and wrath and let's be honest, murderous thoughts, I will not be able to be used by God to further His kingdom. Oh Sandy, when will you learn?
If you are reading this, please pray that God will humble me, break down my pride, and give me a spirit of forgiveness towards my mother-in-law, and anyone else who may stand in the way of God using me to further His kingdom and my glorifying of Him.