“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.’”
Imagine trying to forgive somebody 77 times... Jesus teaches us to always be ready to forgive others, just as we get endless forgiveness from Him when we mess up. Because we are continuously forgiven by Jesus for the sin we fall to, we should continuously forgive those who wrong us even when it’s hard. It's not about keeping score but about giving chances.
Take a few minutes and pray. Here is a sample prayer you that you can make your own:
“Father, forgiving can be really hard, especially when I'm hurt. Help me to be forgiving, like You are with me. Show me how to let go of grudges and to offer kindness instead. Amen.”
Think of someone you've been finding hard to forgive—maybe they said something hurtful or let you down. Try to take the first step in forgiving them this week. It doesn't mean forgetting what happened, but choosing to move beyond it with kindness.
