Forgiveness and reconciliation have a profound significance and impact. When passion and tensions arise between relationships, it can be stressful and difficult to navigate. Conflicts will always appear in our lives and every relationship will go through its own struggles, so it's vital to know how to handle these disputes. In these difficult moments, it is important to pray and look for God’s wisdom. Continue reading for helpful ways to practice forgiveness in your relationships.

In This Article: 

• Application in Life
• Seeking Out God

There is a multitude of ways for people to apply and practice forgiveness in their lives. Communication is essential and can help in sharing people’s perspectives of their thought processes and the reasonings behind their actions. It helps in being compassionate, kind and patient with the people around you, especially as it may pertain to conflicts. The delicacies that relationships and conflicts have can be difficult to handle, but there are steps one could take to help with that.

Here are some practical ways you can apply and practice forgiveness in your life:

• Resemble Christ in your character. Reflect on Jesus’ character and how he was willing to forgive all the people who crucified him.
• Practice empathy and compassion. Seek to understand the other perspective in the conflict. Put yourself in the shoes of the other person.
• Try to reach conciliation when possible. Don’t wait for the perfect time, because there may never be a perfect enough moment.
• Seek support from your community. Whether family, friends, mentors or pastors, they each can provide guidance and accountability in the process.

Taking care of relationships is important and takes effort. God calls on us to forgive others. In Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus gives a warning about the importance of forgiveness. He explained that God will not forgive us if we do not forgive others and hold on to our grudges. It is best to reflect and forgive — to hold no record of wrong. Having forgiveness and reconciliation is central to experiencing true healing and the restoration of relationships. So, seek out opportunities to extend forgiveness and pursue reconciliation. Trust in God’s power to bring healing and restoration to all relationships.

Here are a few things to pray for when faced with troubles in any relationship:

• Praying for grace in forgiving the people who may have wronged you and for ways to seek reconciliation
• Praying for healing and restoration of any broken relationships, as well as for the opportunity to rely on God for strength and wisdom
• Praying for discernment; knowing how to navigate the conflicts and extending grace and forgiveness to others

Grand Canyon University is dedicated to helping all the members of the GCU community follow God’s word and to practice forgiveness and reconciliation. To learn more, take a look at our Christian identity and mission. To explore more about Spiritual Life here at GCU, browse through our other weekly devotionals or complete the form on this page.