Charlotte Bronte penned this inspiring line in my all-time favorite novel, Jane Eyre. I think about this quote often. I aspire for this quote to be fleshed out in my life like it was in Jane’s. The truth of the matter is that this is a constant internal struggle for me. My heart tends to hold on to the hurts inflicted on me, either intentionally or unintentionally, from others. I quickly cry out against others when they are too harsh, too judgmental, or too hypocritical.
When I am the offender, however, I just as quickly excuse my own wrong behavior by saying, “God isn’t finished with me yet.” The inference is that I am a work in progress; I deserve forgiveness because I’m still learning.
I think that tendency is what God had in mind when He penned (through Paul) –
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ forgave you. -Ephesians 4:32
Just as God through Christ forgave you. The times in which my life has most successfully mirrored Jane Eyre’s words have been those times in which I have remembered that my offender, too, is a work in progress. God isn’t finished with them yet, either. And by offering the same grace that I expect, I am learning how to forgive, just as God through Christ forgave me.
PONDER: Is there someone in your life against whom you are nursing animosity? Are you mentally keeping a register of the wrongs committed against you? Let’s wipe the slate clean today and choose to walk with them in forgiveness, just as God through Christ forgave you.
Forgiving One Another is one of thirty devotionals I’ve written as part of a friend’s devotional project. You can read more short devotionals like this by clicking here or the Devotionals tab at the top of this page.
Thanks Ericka. It’s so easy to fall into the sin of holding the offenses of others dearly to our hearts. When recently confronted with the results of this sin in the life of another (it boiled over and has burned many others), I was stopped in my tracks and have been examining my own life. It’s not pretty. We must always be on guard and take captive every thought to the obedience of Christ.
Still learning forgiveness. Real, deep, permanent, wholehearted forgiveness, not just “in the moment” forgiveness.
I think that it’s a lifelong process and it’s something we always have to watch for and work on.
Thank you Ericka. This was a great reminder for me and nicely said!
This looks like a very interesting book, Sandie – thanks for making us aware of it.I hope you don't mind me asking, but, as an aside, I wondered while reading the post, about your use of images from books on your blog.Do you ask publishers for permission to reproduce the paoau/illsstretigns? Or are you assuming that because your blog is good publicity for the books, then this is 'fair use'? If so, have you ever been contacted by publishers who don't like you using the images from their books?Thanks again,Graham
Thanks for your question, and for reading my blog. I am careful to make sure that the photos that I use for my blog are “labeled for noncommercial reuse with modification.” As for this photo specifically, it is not a book cover, but one such photo that I combined with my favorite quote from the novel. I have, however, posted a photo of a book cover from the Amazon affiliate program. It is my understanding that this is allowed usage in this context. Thanks again for reading and asking your question.