The apostle Paul trained to be a rabbi (cf. Acts 22:3). It’s no surprise that, after he became an itinerant Christian preacher, he taught his Gentile converts the principles of speech and
relationships found in Proverbs. But he added a powerful additional motive to his teaching: Jesus’ example. “As the Lord forgave you, so also forgive each other,” he wrote.

• Paul called all of Christ’s followers to show five qualities: “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” When have you showed those qualities toward someone you love, or has that person showed them toward you? What other responses might you or they have chosen? Would those alternatives have made things better or worse?
• Every week in worship at Resurrection, we pray, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Colossians said, “As the Lord forgave you, so also forgive each other.” How does accepting, down deep inside, that God forgives you transform your approach to forgiving others? What factors make seeing yourself and others as “forgivable” particularly significant in building durable marriage and family relationships?