Short Version: We need to make right our wrongs, and forgive those that have wronged us.

I had the pleasure of watching the early release of Frozen 2! What a great movie. Spoiler alert- I absolutely love how Princess Anna was determined to make things right even at such an incredible price. Her demonstration of correcting a wrong was admirable and beautiful, and I thought about her and this movie as I did my devotions.

Colossians 3:12-14 Since God chose you to be holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderheated mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.

Homeschooling Opportunity

As the nation has been put into social distancing and parents and kids are all home together to do do school, my teacher brain automatically went into action on what I would be doing if I were home with small kids.

I would definitely have a family discussion on this verse, explaining these traits. Then we would have a family viewing of the movie, looking for evidence of this verse, particularly with Princess Anna. I put together a worksheet as well, where younger children could either draw a picture or write a sentence, and older children could write a paragraph citing evidence.

This is also a fantastic opportunity to discuss times when we felt wronged and how to proceed, or if we have done something wrong and ways to make it right.

Today’s reading, chapter 3, was about forgiveness.

Here are some of my favorite points made within the chapter, that were also apparent in the movie.

1. Life is not fair. I loved this line by Sheila Walsh. “Fair doesn’t live here anymore, but Jesus does. . . Forgiveness is God’s gift to us to live in a world that’s not fair.” This expectation to think things need to be fair, can lead to the harboring of ill feelings, bitterness, and anger. Instead, we need to bring it to Christ for Him to handle.
2. Forgiveness isn’t so much about someone else, but in setting ourselves free. Satan loves it when we become angry. He imprisons us with these feelings of bitterness, but when we leave it at the cross, the enemy loses his power.
3. We can spend our energy placing blame, or we can choose to forgive. “Will you hand over the reins of your life to someone you don’t even like, or will you decide to direct the path of your own future.” We are only a victim if we allow ourselves to be a victim.
4. And finally, it isn’t enough to forgive what was done, but to bring a blessing upon the one that wronged you. uph! That is a lot to ask. We are told, to not only forgive the person, but to deliver them to the Lord. The author even goes so far as to say, “Release that person to God’s mercy . . . and don’t talk about it to others.”

What Do We Need To Do?

If we are faced with being wronged, then we are instructed to:

1. First admit your own sins and ask for forgiveness.
2. Thank the Lord for his forgiveness.
3. Ask for help in forgiving the one that wronged you.
4. And ask the Lord to help, bless, and show mercy to the one that did wrong. After all, hurt people hurt people.

Harboring anger and bitterness eats away at our souls like a disease. This only hurts oneself, and this negativity is contagious. If you are holding onto this resentment, I urge you to bring it to the Lord and be set free.

Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you for Your word and the emphasis on forgiveness. Thank you for setting such an incredible example, showing mercy and grace when we don’t deserve it. Lord, open my heart. Rescue me from any harbored hurt. Help me to recognize that those that hurt me are in fact hurting also. Hurt people are entrapped by the enemy, Lord, and I pray that they hear your calls and grow closer to you. And Lord, if I have wronged someone, please bring it to my attention, and help me to make it right. In Jesus name, Amen.