When is enough enough?

Forgiveness

When is enough enough?

Peter asked Jesus how many times he should forgive his brother. Matthew 18:21-22 states, “Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, until seven times: but, until seventy times seven.”

The Lord forgives us on a daily basis. He has two caveats, and they are: ask him for forgiveness and we must forgive others. Mark 11:26 states, “But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.” Therefore, we should willing forgive others. Jesus is our guide on the forgiveness road and he showed us the way to forgiveness. We must pray for those we feel offended us and follow his lead. We must have compassion for others. In the dictionary, compassion is defined as sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others. When we have compassion for another person, we can empathize with their concerns and challenges. When Jesus was suffering on the cross (Luke 23:34), “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” Sometimes others offend us, but we must be willing to forgive them. We cannot hold grudges or ill will towards each other. In Mark 11:25, Jesus stated, “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive your sins.”

Unforgiveness can hinder our lives, prayers, and walk with Jesus. Since we are imperfect people, we need and want Jesus to forgive our short comings and bad decisions. When we ask him for forgiveness, he is faithful and just and he will forgive us (1 John 1:9).