All Is Forgiven

When you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.

MARK 11:25

FORGIVENESS CAN BE A HARD THING. When people hurt us or wrong us, when they lie or let us down, it’s hard to forgive them. But God wants us to work on forgiving others. It’s a pretty big deal to him; after all, he forgives all our sins when we ask him to. He sent his Son, Jesus, to pay the price for all the wrong things we do so we can live with him in heaven one day. God will forgive us for every little thing and even the really big things. He’ll forgive us for things we think are unforgivable. And that’s why he tells us in the Bible to forgive the people who wrong us. It’s even in the Lord’s Prayer: “Forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” (Matthew 6:12). In response to Peter’s question, Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:22 that we are to forgive the person who wrongs us “seventy times seven” times. That’s a lot of forgiving.

Why do you think this is? First, it’s because part of following Jesus is forgiving others. It’s that simple. But forgiveness is also good for the person doing the forgiving. When we forgive, we let old grudges go. It’s a clean slate for us. We can be wise and not let the person wrong us in the same way again, but we can still forgive that person and go on with our lives.

Is there someone you can forgive today? Think about it. Maybe it’s something little. Maybe it’s something big. Talk to God about how to forgive the person, then do it. You’ll feel better. And some of the most powerful words you can say to another person who has hurt you are: “I forgive you.” That’s what God’s love does.

DO

Think of a time when someone hurt you. Have you forgiven that person? Why or why not? Ask God to help you forgive the person if you haven’t (even if that person hasn’t apologized to you). Now think about a time you wronged someone and didn’t apologize. Challenge yourself to apologize to the person and ask for forgiveness. If you can’t do it face to face, write your apology on a separate piece of paper, and ask God to forgive you.

PRAY

Dear God,

Thank you for forgiving me when I do wrong things. Thank you for loving me even though I mess up and for giving me the chance to say I’m sorry. Please remind me to love and forgive the people around me in the same way you forgive me. Amen.

READ

Matthew 18:21-22; Ephesians 4:32