“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?’ ‘No, not seven times,’ Jesus replied, ‘but seventy times seven!” (Matthew 18:22 NLT)
“and forgive us our sins as we have forgiven those who sin against us.” (Matthew 6:12 NLT)
“But God proves His love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8 BSB)
Jesus’ disciple asked, “How many times should I forgive, seven?” And Jesus response blew him away. It was “70 x 7.” I think Jesus’ point was, you just never stop. In the famous words of Buzz Lightyear, “To infinity and beyond!” You know? That applies to yourself as well. I think I sin against myself far more than anyone sins against me.
We make alot of errors. We don’t do everything right, and we get mad at ourselves. I know with myself, I just keep messing up. I just keep gettin’ up and tryin’ again, and gettin’ up and tryin’ again, and on and on I go. And I get madder and madder, and more and more frustrated, until I just have to slam on the breaks and stop. That’s when I can either wallow in the shame of my error, or confess my weakness and forgive myself. Sometimes I just have to stop and say to myself, “Hey self, it’s OK, it’s covered.” Then start again.
Maybe you’re like me, and maybe you’re not perfect. And maybe you fall short and fail more than you like to admit (i know I do). Well, you can forgive yourself and keep on going.
Be forgiven today. Be blessed, and know that you are loved as you soak in…
…Eric’s Life Lesson # 335: Never Stop Forgiving Yourself