Be careful. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in the day, and seven times returns, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.” The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
Luke 17:3-5 (WEB)
Father, I so feel like the Apostles when it comes to forgiving others. Though I don’t necessarily hold a grudge, I do find myself thinking I’ll not let that happen again. The old saying looms in my mind: once shame on me; twice shame on you. There is this feeling that wells up within me that I will forgive but I won’t forget.
My soul is being reminded this morning that I have been forgiven a whole lot of things not only by others but especially by You. And I’m being poked today in my spiritual ribs, asked the simple question: how do I want to be forgiven? Honestly, I want the slate wiped clean! And that’s what You have done for me through the sacrifice of my Savior. How dare I not do the same to those who have offended me!
So today, I pray that You would continue to prod me to give unto others what I have received myself. Continue to challenge me to forgive as I have been forgiven, love as I have been loved, and to sacrifice as I have been sacrificed for. Not by human standards, but divine standards. How others pour their lives into me does not determine how I should pour my life into them. Jesus is my standard; He is my example. Enable me to follow after Him, doing, loving, and forgiving as He has done. Then I know that my life will be pleasing to You and I will be planting the seeds of Your love into the lives of others. Empower me to do this to Your glory in Jesus’ Name. Amen.