Devotional Title: “Put Up With You”

“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
— Colossians 3:13

We've all been wronged in life. Sometimes it's subtle, an ignored message, a dismissive comment that feels like an overlooked effort. Other times it stings deeper. It might be betrayal, anger, or emotional pain. And while being hurt is hard enough, the real test of character comes when we are the ones being called to forgive.

When I think back on learning forgiveness (and this is still something that I am learning and will always be learning), I always go back to my childhood where I felt forgiveness was imprinted heavily, especially in my relationship with my older brother.

If you've ever had siblings close in age, you know how quickly emotions can escalate. In our house, it didn't take much. It could have been a video game battle, a garage ping-pong match that got too competitive, one-on-one basketball, or a fishing challenge that turned into a rivalry.

Now, as brothers, and being the younger, smaller, and weaker of the two, it was easy for my feelings to get hurt. More often than not, I found myself on the receiving end of these battles, which unfortunately for my older brother, I would emotionally lash out. Forgiveness did not come naturally for me. But it was something my mother and father instilled in us very early. They would remind us, "Your relationship matters more than a simple fight."

Over time, one of the greatest lessons I learned from my older brother was the power of forgiveness. I learned quickly how he, as a role model, would sit me down, talk to me in his room or through our Jack and Jill bathroom, and say the simple words: “I’m sorry.” Through those moments, I began to understand what it meant to forgive, how to release hurt, how to respond with grace, and eventually, how to forgive even before the apology came.

As we look into Paul’s message in Colossians 3:13, there's really one main concept:
Forgive one another.
And second to that:
Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

We see the word forgive repeated because Paul is emphasizing its weight and necessity.

In this context, forgiveness is the act of pardoning someone for a wrong they’ve committed. In essence, it’s a dismissal or a release. Paul isn’t just speaking about simple apologies. He’s calling believers into radical, Christlike forgiveness. The kind of forgiveness that mirrors what we’ve been given by God, undeserved, unearned, and completely freeing.

This verse is not about ignoring pain. It’s about responding to it with foregiveness.

What Does Forgiveness Mean in the 21st Century?

As believers in today’s society, we are constantly met with the juxtaposition of: Do we forgive or do we forget?

Forgiving is hard. Did that person wrong you? Did they take advantage of you? Did they hurt your feelings or say something they shouldn’t have? In today’s age, we are constantly met with the idea of: Why should I forgive? And that narrative is encouraged.

Society leaders, influencers, and even the role models we look up to consistently challenge the concept of forgiveness. It’s what our sinful nature wants us to believe:

“Why should I forgive the person that hurt me?”
“They should be the one begging on their knees for my forgiveness.”
“I don’t need to say sorry first.”

But that’s what makes forgiveness so powerful. When it is truly given, it speaks louder than many actions ever could. A simple “I forgive you” to someone who hurt you might lead to a deeper conversation:
“Why would you forgive me?”
“Why would you ever show that kind of grace?”

And your response? “Because that is what Christ commands me to do.”

What if we had more conversations like that?
What if more people opened up to understand what forgiveness really means?
What if political leaders learned what forgiveness was?
What if athletes and role models showed forgiveness on national stages?
How many more children would learn to say “I forgive you” when their feelings are hurt—restoring and building stronger relationships?

Let’s take Paul’s words to heart: “Forgive one another, as the Lord forgave you.”

In a Christ-like identity, we are not asked, we are commanded, to forgive, even when it’s the last thing we want to do.

So the next time you’re challenged with forgiveness, pause.
Reflect on where your resentment is coming from.
And then ask yourself:

What would Christ do?

Would He turn a cold shoulder and wait for the other person to come begging back?

Or would He take the first step and forgive?

True forgiveness creates peace. And in a divided, loud, and often bitter world, peace is what sets us apart.


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