FORGIVE FROM YOUR HEART

We Need to Work at Being Forgiving

It would be nice to think that in the Christian congregation, there are few occasions when we have to practice the godly course of forgiving. The reality is otherwise. Granted, our Christian brothers and sisters are striving to follow Jesus' pattern of love. (John 13:35; 15:12, 13; Galatians 6:2) They have long worked, and are still working, to abandon ways of thinking, speaking, and acting common to this wicked world. They truly want to manifest the new personality. (Colossians 3:9, 10) Yet, we cannot ignore the fact that the global congregation, and each local congregation, is composed of imperfect humans. Overall, they are certainly better than they once were, yet they are still imperfect.

In the Bible, God deliberately tells us that we can expect imperfection in the congregation, among our brothers and sisters. Consider, for instance, Paul's words recorded at Colossians 3:13: "Continue putting up with one another and forgiving one another freely if anyone has a cause for complaint against another. Even as Jehovah freely forgave you, so do you also.{"

Significantly, the Bible here reminds us of the link between God's forgiving us and our duty and need to be forgiving toward others. Why is this a challenge? Because Paul admitted that someone may have "a cause for complaint against another." He realized that such causes would exist. They must have existed in the first century, even among Christian "holy ones," who, had a 'hope reserved for them in the heavens.' (Colossians 1:2, 5) So we can imagine that it would be otherwise today when most true Christians do not have the testimony of the spirit that they are God's chosen ones, holy and loved."? (Colossians 3:12) Hence, we should not conclude that something is exceptionally wrong if in our congregation there are causes for complaint-hurtful feelings over real or supposed wrongs.

The words of Jesus' half brother James also show that we must expect that we may at least occasionally encounter situations that call on us to forgive our brothers. "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show out of his fine conduct his works with a mildness that belongs to wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and contentiousness in your hearts, do not be bragging and lying against the truth." (James 3:13, 14) "Bitter jealousy and contentiousness" in the hearts of true Christians? Yes, James' words clearly suggest that such had surfaced in the first-century congregation and will do so today.

A real example involved two anointed Christians who had a fine reputation for exerting themselves side by side with Paul. You may recall reading about Euodia and Syntyche, members of the Philippian congregation. Though not describing the matter in detail. Philippians 4:2,3 shows that there was some problem between them. Did it begin with a thoughtless, unkind comment, a perceived slight of a relative, or some evidence of competitive jealousy? Whatever its nature, it became so serious that Paul heard about it far away in Rome. Icy silence may have developed between the two spiritual sisters, leading to their keeping each other at a distance at the meetings or making harsh comments about the other to their friends.

Does any of that sound familiar, like what occurred between some in your congregation or something that you were involved in? A problem of that sort may even now exist to a degree. What can we do? In the ancient case , Paul urged those two dedicated sisters "to be of the same mind in the Lord." They may have agreed to discuss the matter, to clear the air, to express a mutual willingness to forgive,and then actually to imitate Jehovah's forgiving attitude. There is not reason to think other than that euodia and Syntyche succeeded, and we too can succeed. Such a forgiving attitude can be applied successfully today.

Next time: Make Peace-Forgive

Watchtower, 1999