How to Forgive One Another Colossians 3:12-13 Devotional

In this Colossians 3:12-13 Devotional, we’ll discover what it means to forgive one another and how God helps us have a heart of compassion even when we’re hurting.

Hurt, resentment, and bitterness are the feelings that I’m struggling with lately. Maybe you’ve felt them too, those lingering emotions that take hold when someone you love lets you down. They can creep in quietly, settle deep in your heart, and make it hard to show the kind of love God calls us to. But the Christian life is built on forgiveness. Through the love of God and the power of His Word, we can learn to lay our hurts at the feet of our Lord Jesus Christ and let His healing grace flow through us. It’s not always easy, but it’s through God’s forgiveness that we find the freedom and peace our hearts are longing for.

What Is the Meaning of Colossians 3:12-13?

In the New Testament book of Colossians, the Word of God gives us a beautiful list of things we should have as followers of Christ… tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. These aren’t just virtues to admire, they’re spiritual qualities that reflect the heart of Jesus and help us live out our new identity in Him.

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.

Colossians 3:12-13 NKJV

The Apostle Paul wrote these words to the Colossian believers to remind them what it means to live as God’s chosen people, holy, set apart, and dearly loved. He explained that through their faith in Jesus, they were no longer bound by their old way of life, but had been given a new life in Christ. And with that new life came a new way of living, full of tenderhearted mercy and forgiveness for others.

Paul uses the phrase “put on” or “clothe yourselves” to describe how we should approach daily life as believers. Just like getting dressed each morning, we’re to intentionally “put on” compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. These qualities don’t happen by accident… they’re part of our spiritual wardrobe as God’s people.

When Paul says to “bear with one another” and “forgive one another,” he’s showing us that forgiveness isn’t a suggestion, it’s part of what holds the body of Christ together in perfect unity. Forgiveness is the outward expression of an inward transformation. It’s how we reflect Jesus to the world and show the same mercy He’s shown us.

As you think about these verses, take a moment to reflect… is there someone in your life you need to forgive? Ask God to soften your heart and help you “clothe yourself” with His love, so you can walk in the freedom and peace that come from forgiveness.

When Relationships Hurt

During my childhood, I tried to have a closer and more meaningful relationship with my grandmother. I wanted to feel loved by her and to spend time with her. She always had time for her friends and her church activities. But when it came to me, it seemed that the more effort I put in, the less I got out of it. When I was a teenager, I talked to her about it. I cried and asked her to spend more time with me, but she made it clear that I wasn’t her top priority. So, I gave up. I realized that I would never have the special relationship with her I desired. I had to learn to accept the fact that she wasn’t capable of having a close relationship with me and move forward with my life.

I want to be clear, I love my grandmother. She has some very admirable qualities. She was always a “prayer warrior” and faithful to her ministry of visiting the elderly in nursing homes.

Now, she’s the one in the nursing home, and her health is failing. Her memory has suffered greatly, and she can’t remember the same things that I do. She’s only able to think of herself and her immediate situation. This past week, all of those past memories and feelings have resurfaced. I thought they were long gone, but there they are, hurt, resentment, and bitterness. Hurt that I tried so hard to be close to her, resentment that she rejected me, and bitterness that I will never have the relationship with her I so desperately wanted.

But I don’t want to be filled with these negative emotions. I want to have love and compassion for my grandma. I want to be an encourager and friend to all the different people God has put in my life. These moments make me realize how much I need to put on the spiritual clothes of Colossians 3:12-13, but these character traits don’t come easily to me when I’m navigating a difficult relationship. I have to continually work on it and ask God to give me a heart full of grace and mercy. I need Him to remind me that He loved me so much that He sent His Son to die for me, and that I need to show that same love to everyone around me.

It’s not easy to let go of the hurt, especially when it resurfaces unexpectedly. But each time it does, God gives us a new opportunity to respond differently… with grace instead of resentment, and with love instead of bitterness.

If you’ve ever struggled to forgive someone who’s hurt you, you’re not alone. Let’s look at three ways to forgive others when they hurt you and how God’s Word teaches us to live with compassion, humility, and patience in every relationship.

3 Ways to Forgive Others When They Hurt You

When human relationships leave us hurting, it’s tempting to put up walls and protect ourselves from more pain. But God calls us to something better. Within the Christian community, He invites us to love as He loves and extend grace even when it’s hard. It’s through the most difficult personal relationships that the Lord often teaches us the depth of God’s grace and helps us understand the true love of God.

Real mercy isn’t just a feeling, it’s an act of forgiveness that reflects His heart working in ours. And even when it feels impossible, God meets us in that struggle. He softens our hearts, restores peace, and reminds us that His grace is stronger than the pain we carry.

Forgiveness takes courage. It doesn’t mean forgetting or pretending like nothing happened. Instead, it means trusting God to heal what’s been broken. With His help, we can release bitterness, choose love, and walk in freedom. Here are three practical ways to forgive others when they hurt you.

1.Seek God’s Strength to Forgive

My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.

2 Corinthians 12:9 NKJV

Forgiveness starts when we admit we can’t do it on our own. The hurt runs deep, and our emotions often get the best of us. But that’s where the Spirit of God steps in. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, He gives us the courage to release what we’re holding onto and the grace to let healing begin.

When we invite God’s presence into our pain, He softens our hearts and replaces anger with compassion. Spending time in God’s Word helps us see that forgiveness isn’t a one-time event, it’s a daily practice of surrendering our emotions to Him and letting His love flow through us.

Each time we turn to Him, He renews our hearts and reminds us that we can forgive because Christ first forgave us. That’s where true freedom begins.

2. Pray for a Compassionate Heart

But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.

Luke 6:27-28 NKJV

Prayer has a way of softening what pain has hardened. It doesn’t always change our circumstances right away, but it does change us. When we bring our hurt before the Lord, He gives us heartfelt compassion for the people who’ve caused us pain.

In those quiet moments of prayer, we learn humbleness of mind that helps us let go of pride and trust God to heal what we can’t fix on our own. It’s at His throne of grace that we begin to understand what true compassion looks like… a deep, genuine love that flows from Christ Jesus and fills our hearts with tender mercy for others.

When we start praying for those who’ve wronged us, something beautiful happens. The bitterness begins to fade, and God replaces it with His love. Over time, our hearts begin to look more like His, kind, forgiving, and full of tender mercy.

3. Practice Forgiveness Daily

Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”

Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

Matthew 18:21-22 NKJV

Forgiveness isn’t something we do once and move on. It’s a daily practice of letting go and giving our pain back to God. Each time bitterness or hurt tries to creep in, we have a choice to make… we can hold onto it, or hand it over to the One who can truly heal it.

When we practice forgiveness and seek God’s will, we learn what it truly means to live the Christian life, extending God’s forgiveness to others in the same way He so graciously extends it to us. And we find that each day is a new opportunity to respond with a kind word instead of anger, or a gentle heart instead of resentment.

We don’t have to let old hurts control us. When we’re frustrated or disappointed, we can turn to God again and choose to forgive, because His grace is always enough. And with time, forgiveness starts to be more than just something we do, it becomes a reflection of God’s love shining through our hearts.

God’s Hand at Work in Forgiveness

When forgiveness feels impossible, remember that God’s hand is already working behind the scenes, healing what you can’t see and holding you steady while you learn to love again. His grace meets you right in the middle of your pain, gently shaping your heart to reflect the heart of Jesus.

Each act of forgiveness is evidence of the power of God at work within you. It’s His strength, not yours, that allows you to release resentment and walk in freedom. As you allow the right hand of God to take hold of the situation, His love begins to flow through you, bringing restoration and the quiet peace only He can give.

Even if reconciliation never happens, you can still let the peace of Christ rule in your heart and experience the joy of His presence. When you choose to forgive, you’re not just letting go of the past, you’re inviting God’s grace and love to fill the broken places and make you whole again.

Living with a Forgiving Heart

Forgiveness doesn’t erase the pain, it transforms it. It doesn’t minimize what happened, it magnifies the love of God at work within you. Choosing to forgive doesn’t mean pretending the hurt never happened. It means trusting that through Christ, you are a new creation, learning to walk in grace and letting the Word of Christ dwell richly in your heart as He teaches you how to love again.

Paul reminds us in Colossians 3:13 to “forgive as the Lord forgave you.” That kind of forgiveness isn’t easy, but it’s possible through the mercy of Jesus. As we lean on Him, we begin to live as true Christians who are clothed in compassion, humility, and kindness, and walking in step with His Spirit every day.

So take one small step toward forgiveness today. Pray for the person who hurt you. Ask God to help you see them through His eyes and fill your heart with His peace.

In this Colossians 3:12–13 Devotional, we’ve seen that forgiveness is more than a command, it’s a reflection of God’s love working in us. May His hand guide you as you walk in the name of the Lord Jesus, showing grace, mercy, and love to those around you.

Are you carrying a past hurt? If so, I pray that you’ll seek God’s grace, take that pain to Him, lay it at His feet, and rest in His steady, unchanging love and acceptance for you.