“Forgive us our
debts as we forgive our debtors. – Matthew 6:12
What’s
your reaction when someone hurts you or mistreats you? Do you immediately start planning your
revenge? The world has lots of phrases
to describe this response: “I’ll get you for that!” “One day you’ll get yours!” “Don’t get mad, get even!” That’s the world’s way of dealing with
conflict. Jesus shows us a better
way. It’s called forgiveness. He calls on us to forgive those who offend
us, just as God has forgiven us and continues to forgive our sins against Him.
God
promises us that we will be treated the same way we treat others (Matthew 7:2;
Luke 6:37-38). That can be a welcome
promise or a worrisome thought! If we’re
generous toward others, we’ll experience God’s generosity. If we refuse to forgive those who wrong us,
God will not forgive our sins. Why would
God do this? Because He loves us, and He
refuses to let us live with sinful attitudes that will eventually destroy
us. He wants to develop our character. God is also perfectly just. He won’t treat us one way and yet allow us to
treat others in a different way.
The
Lord’s Prayer holds the reminder that if we hope to receive forgiveness and
grace, we must be willing to extend mercy to those who offend us.
If we
are holding on to bitterness, refusing to forgive someone, review in our heart
how God overlooked our sins when He made us His child. Now, He asks us to do likewise and excuse the
sins of our debtors. When we let go of a
grudge, we will experience the joy and freedom that comes with forgiveness.
