Dear friends, let us continue to love one another,
for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a
child of God and knows God. But anyone who
does not love does not know God, for God is love.
1 John 4:7-8 {NLT, emphasis mine}

If we understand that forgiveness comes from a place of love and we’ve been commanded to love each other, let’s go a layer deeper to understand that love comes from God.

It isn’t humanly possible to know how much God loves us. How wide, long, high, and deep …

And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should,
how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.
May you experience the love of Christ,
though it is too great to understand fully.
Ephesians 3:18 {NLT, emphasis mine}

Paul, the author of Ephesians, goes on to say in verse 19, “Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”

When we experience and try to understand the depths of His love for us, we’ll be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Forgiveness and love don’t come from our strength. Maybe they do sometimes … “Mom, I’m sorry for that speeding ticket.” “It’s okay, I forgive you.” And a lecture ensues.

But the hard stuff, the deep stuff, the painful stuff – the power to forgive those things comes from God and God alone.

I love how Paul finishes his prayer for the Ephesians in verse 20, “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”

There’s a quote I’ve heard, “Have you prayed about it as much as you talk about it?” Ouch! right? So let’s ask ourselves if we’re struggling with forgiveness, have we thought to pray about it? Asking God to work His mighty power within us and our situation?

His Word promises He’ll accomplish infinitely more than what we might ask or think.  When we ask for His help in forgiving or loving someone, He’s able to give us infinitely more. Can you imagine the limitless power we have to forgive and love others?

I’m living proof to that testimony. It’s not by my own strength, but by His … His wonderful, beautiful, limitless power flowing through me.

Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 136:26 {NLT}

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