The Grace You Show Today, Could Change Someone Else’s Tomorrow
There are three specific virtues—kindness, compassion, and forgiveness—that form a model we are called to live by. Karin Hadadan, best-selling author of Beauty in the Stillness, shares how forgiveness can radically change our lives and our community.
This standard of forgiveness resembles the way Christ forgave each of us, guiding us to match both the quality and extent of God’s forgiveness. Within our relationships—whether with family members, romantic partners, coworkers, children, friends, or even strangers—we often feel resistance to expressing that same level of Christ-like kindness and compassion, especially when people wrong us, treat us poorly, or betray our trust. Yet it is precisely in these challenging experiences that we’re invited to forgive more deeply, to love more compassionately, and to overcome evil with good.
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32
When we harbor resentment, the bitterness in our hearts harms us more than those who wronged us. We are the ones stuck with the pain, hurt, and negative thoughts—not them. What purpose does holding onto that really serve? So, reach out to the person who wronged you. Allow others to be who they are. Give grace to people you interact with daily, recognizing that they, like you, are simply doing their best with what they have. This goes way beyond just our individual healing—the energy we emanate extends to the person before us, creating a domino effect within our community.
Allowing others to receive kindness, compassion, and forgiveness when they seem undeserving enables them to extend the same grace to people in their lives who also may be undeserving. When we fully receive God’s forgiveness and extend it to others, we create the loving, kind community that reflects the new life Christ intends for us.
Forgiveness reflects the heart of God and lies at the core of spiritual freedom. Yet for many, it’s one of the hardest virtues to live out—especially when pain, betrayal, or disappointment run deep. We may know God’s kindness and grace firsthand, but extending that same mercy to others often feels impossible. However, holding onto resentment only burdens the soul, keeping us tied to the very wounds we long to release.
True forgiveness doesn’t minimize the hurt; it mirrors Christ’s example—choosing compassion over bitterness and grace over judgment. As we learn to forgive, we reflect God’s nature more clearly, experiencing the same freedom He offers us. Through this process, relationships heal, hearts soften, and we rediscover the peace that flows from living in alignment with divine love.
