BFB-The Stretch Devotional & Guide 2026 - Flipbook - Page 25
REACH IN | STRETCHING TOWARD ONE ANOTHER
DAY 17: CHOOSING GRACE
PASTOR FELIX L. COLE
COLOSSIANS 3:12-14 (NIV)
Reflection:
Forgiveness is not agreement with the offense. It is alignment with God’s grace.
Expanded Focus:
Forgiveness is one of the greatest stretches of community. We do not talk enough about
how heavy it can feel. It touches places in us that offense tries to harden. Sometimes the
hardest battles are not external. They are internal. They live in our memories. We replay
conversations. We analyze silence. We justify resentment. We call it protection, but deep
down, it is a prison.
Paul writes to believers who know what it means to be offended. His instruction is
intentional. He tells them to put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and
patience, as if these qualities are garments we choose daily. Forgiveness is our spiritual
wardrobe. It refuses to let bitterness clothe our hearts.
To forgive does not mean the wound was insignificant, that trust instantly returns, or that
accountability disappears. Forgiveness simply means I refuse to let injury shape my
identity. It means I will not allow offense to own my emotional space. Paul raises the
standard when he says, Forgive as the Lord forgave you. He does not tie forgiveness to
apology or closure. He ties it to memory. We forgive because we remember what God
released in us.
Forgiveness is not weakness. It is maturity and spiritual courage. It takes strength to
release what you could weaponize. It takes humility to bless someone you could blame. It
takes discernment to hand justice back to God without demanding emotional payment
from someone who cannot repay you.
Today, God may be resurfacing frustrations or unfinished conversations. He may bring
names to mind that you have avoided in prayer. Additionally, he may expose the
resentment that has been quietly living in the corners of your spirit. That is not
punishment. It is an invitation. It is God guiding you toward emotional freedom. He may be
reminding you that forgiveness is not a favor to the offender. It is freedom for the believer.
Questions to Consider:
1. What memory still carries more emotional weight than God’s grace in your life?
2. Where might resentment be acting like protection in your heart?
3. What step toward forgiveness could move you closer to freedom this week?
