We all have one thing in common: none of us are worthy to inherit the kingdom of Heaven. We only need to look at how often we do the wrong thing and fail to do what is right. We are incredibly blessed to have such a merciful God who continually forgives us and works to bring His lost sheep home. Just as God shows mercy to us, we should show mercy to others.
One of our primary objectives in this life is to become more like God. As we grow closer to Him, we should also learn to forgive as He does. Too often, we hold grudges and tell others about all the ways people have wronged us. When someone hurts us, we might say that person is dead to us and cut them out of our lives. But can you imagine if God had simply kicked us out of paradise after the Fall and never sent His Son to redeem us? God owed us nothing, yet He still chose to reach out to us.
We have a right to feel angry when someone hurts us, but think about how bad the world would become without forgiveness. We would constantly live in conflict, and peace would become increasingly difficult to find. We would have more broken friendships, more divorces, more violence, and, most importantly, more unhappiness.
Jesus gave us the ultimate example of forgiveness. In the midst of deep suffering, He asked His Father to forgive those who crucified Him. How much less do others wrong us? Jesus forgave Peter for denying Him and Thomas for doubting Him. He would have even forgiven Judas for betraying Him if Judas had only asked for forgiveness.
Do not become discouraged. No matter how many times you fall, get back up and keep pressing forward. Too many people give up and think their lives are over. God always gives us another opportunity to turn back to Him. We only separate ourselves from His forgiveness when we refuse to ask for it.
Forgive others, and ask for forgiveness as often as necessary. We all love a good story of redemption. With God’s grace, your story can be one too if you continually choose forgiveness.
