Difficult But Well Worth It

• Why is it important for you to forgive others?

• Who is affected when you refuse to forgive someone?

“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
Matthew 6:14-15

Have you ever had a hard time forgiving someone who has wronged you? It can be difficult to do, but God commands it.

As Christians, we have been forgiven. Jesus has paid the price for our sins, and when we repent, God forgives us. Imagine if one day we asked for forgiveness and God turned us down. That would be tragic! It is also tragic when we refused to forgive someone else. Jesus gave his life so that we could be forgiven. The very least we can do is forgive others. Even though it may be hard to do sometimes, it doesn’t compare to what Jesus went through, and we have the Holy Spirit to help us with this difficult task.

God has given us a model for the greatest forgiveness possible. He wants us to emulate his gift. If we do not forgive, we are making light of his gift. As we have been forgiven, so we should, with God’s help, forgive.

PRAYER
Dear God, thank you for your forgiveness. Thank you for suffering the cross on our behalf. Please give us the courage and strength to forgive others as you have forgiven us. Amen.