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If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent—not to put it too severely. The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. Another reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes. 2 Corinthians 2:5-11

What if You Got Welcomed Instead?

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Imagine this: You’ve messed up. Big time. Maybe you lost your temper with a friend, cheated on a test, or said something mean you wish you could take back. Now, imagine walking into a room full of people who know exactly what you did.

What do you expect? Glares? People whispering about you? A cold shoulder—nobody wants to sit next to you?

Now, what if—instead of rejection—you got welcomed? A smile. A hug. Someone saying, “We’re glad you’re here.”

That’s what Paul is telling the Corinthians to do. Someone in their church had fallen into serious sin. At first, the congregation had to confront it. That’s important—sin can’t be ignored. But now? He has repented. He was broken over what he had done. And Paul says, “Forgive him. Comfort him. Reaffirm your love for him.”

Why? Because that’s what Jesus does for us.

We sin. We grieve God. But when we turn back, what does he do? Arms open. No crossed arms. No “I told you so.” Just full, real, undeserved grace.

Paul warns: If we refuse to forgive, we’re playing into Satan’s hands. The enemy wants guilt to crush people. He wants shame to keep them far from God. But Jesus? He crushes shame. He restores. He welcomes us back.

This isn’t always easy. Sometimes we want to hold onto anger. We want people to earn their way back. But grace doesn’t work that way. It’s freely given.

So, who in your life needs your welcome today? Maybe a classmate who messed up. A sibling who got on your nerves. A friend who said something unkind. Who needs to know that because of Jesus, there’s a way back home?

Prayer:

Jesus, thank you for never turning us away. Teach us to forgive like you do. Amen.

The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.

Questions for Younger Children

• How do you feel when someone forgives you? (Relieved? Happy? Like a heavy backpack got taken off your shoulders?)


• Can you think of a time when you gave someone a second chance? What happened?

Questions for Elementary Age Children

• Why is it sometimes hard to forgive people? (We’re still hurt. We want them to “make it up” to us.)


• How can forgiving someone show them God’s love?

Questions for Middle School and Above

• Paul said unforgiveness gives Satan an advantage. What do you think that means for us?


• Who in your life needs to know they are truly welcome? How could you show that this week?

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