More From Bob LaForge

December 23, 2021 by Bob LaForge (New Jersey, USA)
Bob with his family last Christmas

Two issues came together which inspired me to write this devotion. One was that our kitchen sink was clogged. When I took apart the pipes underneath, they were filled with a disgusting, smelly gray ooze. Once I scrapped out that gunk and reattached the pipes, the water flowed smoothly. It actually worked much better than many of my other household projects.

The second issue was a situation at church. I was teaching an adult Sunday school class and had my best attendance up to that point. There were maybe 50 people in the class. It takes me six months to a year to put together a 12-week class, and I was glad to have more people there to listen. That was until the second week when, before class, someone absolutely ripped my character, my class, and my website and said that they were not coming again. I felt like one of those giant Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons that had been floating happily along and then got a large puncture. I had zero desire to go to class and teach. I really just wanted to go somewhere and cry. But I went and was buoyed somewhat to see that everyone, minus one person, had come back.

My obvious desire was to give that person the cold shoulder and wish that things would go badly for him from that point forward. I felt that would prove that God liked me better, and that he was wrong. But I knew that would only stress me out and, even more importantly, be against God’s will. So I chose to do what was right and treat him with kindness. When we would pass each other, it was clear that he did not want to have anything to do with me, but I was still friendly and would say hello. When I found out that he was in a ministry I told him that I thought that he would do a great job. Eventually he became friendlier and the gray ooze between us was cleared out. That was a much better situation than being inhospitable towards each other.

Forgiveness is never easy. When we are hurt, we want revenge and want to ensure that it will never happen again by cutting off the person who hurt us. But this is not what God did when we rejected God’s love. Rather than punish us or try to ensure we would never do it again, God sent Jesus to be with us, teach us, sympathize with our weaknesses, and then to be cruelly murdered. All to clear out the “gray ooze” that was between us and to bring us back to God, cleansed and forgiven. If God can forgive me for an ocean of sin, then I can surely forgive my brothers and sisters. But God does not just tell us to forgive others; God gives us the example, the grace, and the power to do so. We are without excuse. Forgiveness still is not easy because of our pride, but it is easier.

Do not let unforgiveness clog up your life. When we look to God’s grace and do what is right, our lives will be that much more glorious.

If you would like more information on forgiveness, then please go to my website—www.disciplescorner.com—and navigate to “Bible Literacy,” where I have a section on forgiveness. On my website you can also check out “Bible Study Series” and “Imitating Jesus Part 1” to find another section on forgiveness.  May God bless you and be gracious to you.


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The Upper Room magazine's mission is to provide a practical way to listen to scripture, connect with believers around the world, and spend time with God each day.

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