Walking with My Lord: Soften my hard heart

Listen to this devotion

What does it take to soften my hard heart?

In the Word

… no more hateful feelings of any sort. Instead, be kind and tender-hearted to one another, and forgive one another, as God has forgiven you through Christ (Ephesians 4:31c–32 GNT).

Of the Word

Jen keeps a ledger — a list of payments and expenses — and makes sure that everything balances each month. She keeps another “ledger” in her heart and mind — a list of wrongs her family and friends commit against her. She makes them “pay,” but this hard-hearted approach keeps Jen miserable most of the time.

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times” (Matthew 18:21–22). Jesus teaches us to forgive again and again when others sin against us.

The prophet Jeremiah explained that when Jesus came then God would declare: “I will forgive their sins and I will no longer remember their wrongs” (Jeremiah 31:34b GNT). This is the way God forgives. Because Jesus took our punishment on the cross, full forgiveness is ours by faith. Now with God’s help, we can strive to forgive others as He forgives us — without counting, without remembering, without resentment.