Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.— Colossians 4:5-6
Actress Carol Burnett hot out of a cab one day and accidentally caught her coat in the door. The driver was unaware of her plight, and slowly began to edge out into traffic. To keep from being pulled off her feet, Burnett had to run alongside the cab all the way down the block. It was a terrifying ordeal.
A passerby noted her predicament and quickly alerted the driver by flagging him down. He stopped, jumped out, and released Miss Burnett’s coat. “Ma’am, I’m so sorry. Are you alright?” he asked anxiously.
“Yes,” she gasped, “but how much more do I owe you?”
People are going to make mistakes. And sometimes those mistakes will impact you. But as Christians, we have to be able to see those mistakes for what they are—not malicious attacks against us, but honest errors—so that we can be quick to show grace and forgiveness.
Don’t blow accidents out of proportion and make mountains out of molehills. Give others the benefit of the doubt when it comes to life’s mishaps. When you do, you’ll save relationships and show others the love and grace of Christ that was given to you!
Prayer Challenge
Ask God to help you be quick to forgive when the mistakes of others impact you.
Questions for thought
Think of one mistake you’ve made that impacted someone else. Did he/she forgive you for it? How did it make you feel?
Is there any bitterness you’re harboring against someone today for a past mistake? How can you move toward forgiveness?