By Audrey Bauman

Proverbs 17: 9   (NLT)

“Love prospers when a fault is forgiven,
     but dwelling on it separates close friends.”

Life in 2024 is challenging for many people. Politically people seem to be more on the far right or far left. With elections coming up in the USA and likely in Canada, we see people arguing and actually being quite impolite in stating their opinions on the running candidates. We have two major wars in the Ukraine/Russia and Israel/Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran. We see people arguing and marching in demonstrations to support their points of view. In Canada, there seems to be frequent strikes in the work place as people demand better pay. Even in churches, we see people leaving because they aren't happy with some situation/staff member.

How do we deal with all this hostility? “Love prospers when a fault is forgiven.” Just how much do we decide to let some difficulty with a person take over the relationship - or let it go. That doesn't mean we should just take whatever comes and never address the problem. When a fault is forgiven, something has to happen to make that possible.

The Bible is so clear on how we need to deal with people: 

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4: 32  NASB). 

“Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted 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.” (Colossians 3:12-13  NLT)

God is so clear on what we need to do when disagreements come up. We might disagree with someone, but we don't have to make it the end of our relationship. We can talk with the person and find out what is bothering them - or just get to know why they behave or say what they do. But that conversation is to be done with those characteristics that God tells us to have. 

Stop and think for a moment about how you would talk with someone about something that is bothering you if you were tenderhearted, kind, humble, gentle and patient. Would the situation get worse? Would you storm out and hope you never have to deal with that person again? 

Stop again and think about when you realize you've done something that you know God would not be happy about. You come to your heavenly father and ask for forgiveness. You confess/admit what you've done wrong, and pray for God's help in fixing whatever the problem is. And don't you depend on God's forgiveness?

I John 1: 9  "But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness."

So we're back to the verse in Proverbs today:

 “Love prospers when a fault is forgiven,
     but dwelling on it separates close friends.”

Our song for today is Live Like Jesus by Rhett Walker Band.