JULY 30, Ephesians 4:32 

Seven-year old Seng Soon was excited to shoot hoops (play basketball) with his dad. “Ready dad?”. “Sure!”, said dad as they drove to the nearby basketball court. When they arrived, dad said, “Just one more minute, son. I have to make a phone call, you go on out there and practise and I’ll be right out.”“Okay”Seng Soon answered as he trotted to the basketball court. A few minutes passed and he had a great time shooting hoops, though none of them actually reached the basket. He pretended he was a famous basketball player and the outcome of the game depended on him. So he threw this next one with all his might! “He shoots, he... uhoh...”, the ball slammed through the window of dad’s car with a loud crash! Seng Soon ran to the scene. He saw the stunned face of dad, and started crying for fear of punishment from father.

What happened next? Do you think Seng Soon deserved punishment? How would you prefer this story to end?

Often, we are like Seng Soon. We have done something wrong, are really repentant about it, and confess to the Lord. And we know that our gracious God is always ready to forgive, if we confess our sins. As forgiven sinners, as someone who has experienced the wonder of a wrong forgiven, should we not also be of a tender heart and forgive others when they wrong us? The idea of a “tender heart” is to be compassionate, to be able to feel with and understand how someone who asks for forgiveness may be experiencing. It is really an extension of yesterday’s lesson – to be kind. If we are kind, we will be tender-hearted. If we are tender-hearted, if we do not bear grudges, we will also be a forgiving people.

Forgiveness is such an important aspect of a Christian’s life. If there were no forgiveness, there would be no Christian faith for without the forgiveness of God, Jesus would not have gone to the cross to bear our sins. Has anyone hurt you? Has anyone been unkind to you? Dear child, learn how to be tender-hearted and forgive that person.

You will be able to do it with the strength of the Holy Spirit for a forgiving heart is a gift from the Holy Spirit.

Thought: Only the strong forgive; be strong in the Lord, and forgive!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, may you give me a tender heart and a heart of forgiveness. In Jesus’s name I pray, Amen.