Forgiveness can be hard, and it doesn't come naturally. I think we can even get stuck with unforgiveness due to what we have experienced. It might be for a good reason. But God teaches us how to forgive through his Son.

God sent his Son to die so we could have his eternal grace cover each and every one of us. Through the truth of the Bible, we see how to give grace to ourselves and to others. Because of Jesus' work on the cross, we are not responsible for saving ourselves. In the same way, when someone treats us badly, or we are hurt in relationships, we often find it hard to forgive. We might get stuck with a deep desire to punish the other person for the wrong they have done. In either case, we put ourselves in the seat of judgment and ultimate salvation.

If you haven't yet, make sure to sign up for my email address, so you never miss a devotional!

We all want honor. But most often, we want honor without the hard work that goes before it. 

We want honor without discipline. 

We want honor without accountability. 

We want honor without a rebuke. 

The truth is none of us like discipline. For too many of us, the thought of discipline brings up memories of harsh punishment. For some of us, abuse. 

From the beginning, in Genesis 2, the Bible establishes that we were not meant to do life alone. "It is not good…" Gen 2:18 The first time God said this in the creation narrative. The love between husband and wife has the potential to reflect the good news of the Gospel; that is because human love reflects God's love for his people.

Paul relates marriage to the saving work of Jesus. In marriage, we are to do for each other as God did for us in Jesus. Jesus gave himself up, made himself nothing, died a shameful death (Philippians 2) for his bride…