Seven Times A Day

• What circumstances might cause you to end a friendship?

• What could that friend do to get back into your good graces?

“Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”
Luke 17:4

Think about how many times we ask God for forgiveness. Better yet, think about how many times we should ask God for forgiveness. We mess up in countless ways every day. Yet every time we turn to God with sincere repentance, he forgives us and wipes our slates clean.

Of course, if we keep doing the same thing over and over again, there may be reason to doubt that we’re actually repentant. But if we make a genuine effort to change each time we repent, God will forgive us.

How can we, then, deny forgiveness to people who have hurt us? Our standards can’t be higher than God’s. If he forgives us, we must forgive others. If the person keeps doing the same thing over and over to us, we might doubt whether he or she is actually repentant. We might have to put some boundaries in place in that relationship. But our responsibility as followers of Christ is to forgive.

PRAYER
Dear God, thank you for not setting a limit on the number of times you will forgive us. Give us the patience and strength to forgive people who hurt us. Let us be examples of your forgiveness. Amen.