“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you”-- Colossians 3:12-13
Why is it so challenging at times for us to let God’s forgiveness flow through us to others?
We may respond by saying, “Oh, but I do!” not realizing that most of us do when it doesn’t really affect us or hurt to do so, but what about those times when it's painful for us? What do we do during those times?
What clogs us up in releasing forgiveness to others is when it pains us tremendously. When it does, forgiveness gets clogged up within us, whereas we need God’s help to unclog it so that we let the forgiveness He so freely gives us flow to others.
Stuff that Clogs Up Forgiveness in Our Lives
Growing up, my parents told me not to ever pour hamburger grease or other types of grease down the kitchen sink drain, along with onion skins and other items known to clog drains and pipes.
In the same way, God tells us not to pour certain things into our minds and hearts, because they will clog our ability to let forgiveness flow through us to others.
The Apostle Paul instructs us in Ephesians 4:31, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.”
All the above clog us up and keep forgiveness from flowing freely through us.
As well, 1 Peter 2:1 urges us to, “Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.”
Likewise, Colossians 3:8 describes the types of thoughts, feelings, emotions, and actions that clog us up, encouraging us to avoid them in our lives. “But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.”
Extreme Clogs that Lead to Stinking Back-up
When we lived in Missouri, tree roots invaded our sewer pipes, causing a sewer backup and a stench in our basement. An unpleasant order and stinky sludge do not adequately describe the experience.
Like a sewer pipe backing up in our home, when we allow the things Paul mentioned to live inside us, what comes out of us is a stench comparable to a sewer backup in our hearts, minds, and mouths.
Jesus, in Matthew 15:11, describes the polluted back-up these things produce in our lives, “What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”
He called out those who were polluted and clogged up within to cleanse themselves in Matthew 23:25-26: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside, they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First, clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside will also be clean.”
Jesus, in Matthew 23:27-28, not ever one to mince His words, saw the foul things clogging up the temple leaders, saying, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but, on the inside, are full of the bones of the dead and of everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”
Things that Help Us Let Forgiveness Flow
After we rid our hearts, minds, and mouths of the foul things, Philippians 4:8 describes the thoughts that we can dwell on to help keep forgiveness flowing through us to others. “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
When we cleanse our hearts, minds, and mouths of destructive thoughts and words, we can forgive others. As Ephesians 4:32 urges, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Let’s Pray:
Dear Father, help us today and every day to freely allow Your forgiveness to flow through us to others. Cleanse our hearts, minds, and mouths from all that would defile and clog up forgiveness in our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Michael H
Lynette Kittle is married with four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, StartMarriageRight.com, and more. She has a M.A. in Communication from Regent University and serves as associate producer for Soul Check TV.
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If you've been feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or just quietly wondering where God is in the middle of a very full life — this episode is for you. And honestly? It might be for me too, because I'm recording this in one of those seasons myself.
Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.
Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.
I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
Originally published Monday, 02 March 2026.
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