70 x 7, Say What?!

Inside my head, there is an ongoing struggle. The admonishment to forgive so that I may be forgiven seems logical yet virtually impossible in many situations. I also wrestle with the idea of forgiving repeatedly. What is it about forgiveness that makes my hair turn gray and my forehead wrinkle? Then again, I guess it isn't forgiveness itself that plagues me, it's the conditions that I have placed upon granting it.

Condition one: I only consider forgiveness when the person actually asks for it. I don't just go around granting it all willy nilly.

Condition two: I only forgive quickly if I believe there is a good chance the offending action will not be repeated regularly.

Matthew 6:14-15 says 14"If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins."

I have the most difficulty forgiving those closest to me, especially my spouse. Some of you can probably relate. The hurts are deeper since we care more. Bear with me, I'm working through this as I write. That's what I love about the Word. When I am going through something that I can't quite grasp, I find truth there.

Also, Matthew 18 provides valuable insight about forgiveness when Peter asks Jesus for an exact figure on forgiveness. Jesus' parable teaches us why we should forgive.

I need constant reminders of this right now. I'm holding grudges lately, and I'm not sure why. Call it "righteous indignation". These verses remind me that I must offer unlimited forgiveness since Christ has forgiven me. And since I can't afford to go through a life devoid of His forgiveness, I guess I have some forgiving to do. Looks like I don't have a choice. And after all I've been forgiven, I shouldn't want one. I feel humbled and ashamed.

If you have a forgiveness story or tips on forgiving, please comment. I love hearing from you.