Heart Bandage

Read: Matthew 18:15, 23-35

“Dad, look at this sore on my arm.” Cole pulled up his sleeve to expose a weeping red gash on his forearm.

“Is that where you got burned at the bonfire?” Dad asked. “It’s getting worse. Let’s see if Dr. Patel can look at it.”

While Dad called the clinic, Cole scratched his arm. When Dad hung up the phone, he said, “They had a cancellation. If we hurry we can see the doctor.” As Dad drove, he said, “I hope they can do something so you can go to your church group tonight.”

“I don’t want to go. I might run into Brad, and this is his fault. I told him to stop pushing me by the fire. But he wouldn’t quit, and I got burned.”

“He was wrong to do that, Cole. But missing church to stay away from him is just going to make things worse. Jesus says that if someone sins against you, you’re supposed to tell him, and if he asks you to forgive him, you do it because Jesus forgave you.”

“I told him, but he just laughed. Our youth leader had a talk with him. Even if Brad apologizes now, I’ll just laugh at him.”

Dad parked in the clinic lot. “Does your arm look good to you, Cole?”

“No, it looks gross.”

“That’s exactly what an unforgiving heart looks like to God—oozing, stinking, and unable to heal. When you hold a grudge against someone, it’s like tearing open a wound every time you think about it. You told Brad that he did wrong—that’s the first step the Bible tells you to take. Now you need to trust Jesus to help you forgive. Remember, He paid for all your sins and forgives you completely whenever you do something wrong.” Dad opened the car door. “Let’s go or we’ll miss the appointment.”

Dr. Patel cleaned and bandaged the wound and told Cole to come back in a week.

On the drive home, Dad said, “I see that bandage is protecting your sore. You’re not scratching it now.”

“It feels better. And I feel better about forgiving Brad. I prayed about it at the clinic, and instead of imagining how I’ll get back at him, I’m ready to forgive.”

–Laura Roesler

How about you? Is there anyone who has wronged you and won’t apologize? Do you feel bitter about it? Do you plan to hold a grudge and never forgive that person? Don’t let bitterness ooze like a wound that won’t heal in your heart. Remember how much Jesus has forgiven you, and trust Him to help you always be ready to forgive.

Today's Key Verse: Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32 (NLT)

Today's Key Thought: Get rid of bitterness