March 5 – The Sweet Smell of Forgiveness

So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Colossians 3:12-13

I love this thought…you are chosen by God. Of all the people throughout eternity, God looked down from heaven and saw me and said, “I choose you.” If you accepted His Son, Jesus, as your savior, He chose you, too—to be His child. We’ve been adopted! What a wonderful feeling. So beloved child of God, be holy, compassionate towards others, forgiving them. That is what I hear, in that still small voice in my head—treat others the way you want to be treated, with kindness and forgiveness. 

 

Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens), a great American author and speaker, wrote, Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.  In the book of Ephesians, Paul wrote about the fragrant aroma that a sacrifice to God creates…and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. Ephesians 5:2. So would our “sacrifice” of obedient forgiveness create a sweet smell as God sees us forgiving others? Maybe so.

Training Tip – Get a nice smelling flower and crush it—the kids will enjoy doing that with a mortar and pestle, if you have one. If not…just use a couple of rocks. Allow them to smell the sweet fragrance. Tell them that is the sweet smell that God smells when we forgive others. 

Lord God, may the forgiveness that I show to those who have offended me be as a sweet fragrance to You. May I become more like You, Jesus, every day—forgiving others from my heart.  
  

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise noted.

© 2013 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.