Daily Devotionals
February 7, 2020
To Forgive…
February 7, 2020
DAILY READINGS
This weekend’s reading: Ecclesiastes 7:1-14
FIELD NOTES
Look, we can all admit that relationships are hard. People mistreat you. They gossip about you. They attack your character. Perhaps even worst of all, they completely ignore you. And yet, we see in the text that if we hate, we are still “in the darkness.” Do you have that person in your mind whom you cannot stand? Maybe it’s a coworker or family member? Maybe it’s your own spouse.
Whoever it is, we know that walking around with hatred in our hearts is sin. The only way to move away from hatred is through love and forgiveness.
Henri Nouwen says,
“Forgiveness is the name of love practiced among people who love poorly. The hard truth is that all people love poorly. We need to forgive and be forgiven every day, every hour increasingly. That is the great work of love among the fellowship of the weak that is the human family.”
QUESTIONS FOR THE FIELD
- Have you ever hated someone? What did they do to deserve it?
- How can you go about forgiving them and moving on towards loving them?
- Whom do I need to ask for forgiveness?
FAMILY FIELD TALK
- How can I be a tool for good in my life?
PRAYER GUIDE
Lord, drive out our hate. Fill the emptiness with love. And Lord, where that hatred is fueled by hurt, grant us the strength to forgive. We pray for your hand to guide us as always. Amen.