“Be alert. If you see your friend going wrong, correct him. If he responds, forgive him. Even if it’s personal against you and repeated seven times through the day, and seven times he says, ‘I’m sorry, I won’t do it again,’ forgive him” (Luke 17:3-4, MSG)
People find it hard to forgive those who deliberately sin against them. That person (your friend, brother, sister, mother, father, colleague at work, etc) knew it was wrong yet he/she did it. In the scripture, Peter came to Jesus one day and asked him a question about the number of times he should forgive those who sin against him? He thought up to seven times were enough but Jesus replied “No, not seven times but seventy times seven”
Jesus told Peter to forgive 490 times. In other words, Jesus told him to be ready to forgive each time his brother sin against him. In Luke 17:4, Jesus added“Even if that person wrong you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive”
Someone may ask “what if that person is conscious of what he/she is doing and keeps on repeating the same mistake every day, week, month, or year. Must I forgive him/her?” The answer is Yes.
Forgiving your brother’s mistake(s) must be something you do every day because human beings are people and they are going to hurt you in one way or the other.
Do you know that God doesn’t answer your prayer for forgiveness when you don’t forgive people who sin against you?
Jesus told his disciples in Mark 11:25 that “Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him and let it drop (leave it, let it go), in order that your Father Who is in heaven may also forgive you your [own] failings and shortcomings and let them drop. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive you failings and shortcomings.”
Friend true love overlooks a person’s failings and shortcomings. God shows us this kind of love daily. The scripture says while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. He bought us with his precious blood and the least, I believe, you can do to show your love for him is to look around you today, pick up your phone to call the person who hurt you or sinned against you in the past. God will bless you as you choose to forgive all who have sin against you today. The Right Time is Now!
Uplifting Christ 