Why Unforgiveness Is (Absolutely) Not an Option

　　By Kelly Balarie

　　“Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. – Matthew 18:21-22 ESV

　　I was furious at this person! Sitting on the couch, I knew, there may as well have been a brick wall between us. I was angry. I felt unprotected and exposed. I didn’t want to get hurt again; fools do that. Sure, his words sounded apologetic, but could I trust them? He was saying one thing but all my emotions wanted to believe another.

　　Nodding, I pretended like everything was okay.

　　At the same time, my mind circled back to a conversation I recently had with a friend. She explained how she didn’t intend to send me a podcast to teach me a lesson or to prove a point. She just wanted to know my opinion about it.

　　I remember thinking, “I have to trust her at her word. Otherwise, if I go by a feeling, I will go about forgiving.”

　　I told her, “Friend, I know your heart.” I immediately moved on from bitterness.

　　Why couldn’t I do the same thing with this man? Why couldn’t I trust His heart? Why couldn’t I take him at his word?

　　I sat with that thought… After a time, I came to the fact that -- Jesus doesn’t tell me it’s an option that I forgive. He doesn’t tell me it might be a good idea to forgive. Jesus tells me to forgive.

　　“Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. – Matthew 18:21-22 ESV

　　Man will fail us seventy-seven times. And, God calls us to forgive them seventy-seven times. Even when by our natural we have no good reason as to – why.

　　Never once did Jesus say we have to understand every reason why… He tells us to forgive.

　　To love the Lord is to obey His commands. To give someone forgiveness is to offer them a fresh start. Jesus is The Way so, certainly, His truth leads the way to abundant life.

　　This doesn’t mean we abandon reason or wisdom as we forgive. Certainly, boundaries and wise words are always needed. At the same time, the calling to forgive – still stands.

　　Who might you need to forgive today? How might God be preparing something new for you in that relationship? How might God be growing fruit in you? How might this growing fruit in your life affect others.

　　Friends, forgiveness is never merited, hardly deserved, but it is always required. We forgive, just as Jesus forgave us…

　　Intersecting Faith Life:

　　“Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. – Matthew 18:21-22 ESV

　　This verse indicates that man will hurt us – many, many times. Not only will they hurt us, but they will verifiably sin against us. When know that someone has not only hurt you but they have blatantly sinned in your face, how do you handle it? Are you a person of grace or of anger? Do you continually blame and point fingers at the past, or do you make way for immediate and radical forgiveness?

　　Photo Credit: © Getty Images/Antonio Guillem

　　Kelly uplifts believers with boosts of faith; be encouraged weekly by getting Kelly’s blog posts by email. Kelly, a cheerleader of faith, is a blogger, national speaker, and author of Take Every Thought Captive, Rest Now, Battle Ready, and Fear Fighting. Kelly loves seeing the power of prayer in action. She loves seeing the expression on women’s faces when they realize – their God is faithful! Kelly’s work has been featured on The Today Show, CBN’s 700 Club, Relevant and Today’s Christian Woman.

　　Check out fantastic resources on Faith, Family, and Fun at Crosswalk.com!

　　Related Resource: Bold Prayers: Asking God to Reveal the Roots of Our AnxietySometimes, anxiety can hit without any recognizable provocation, or our anxiety can feel more intense than the situation warrants. When we find ourselves in that place, we can pray the prayer ancient Israel's second king, David, prayed at the end of Psalm 139, trusting that our God will and is leading us to increased freedom. Listen in to this episode of Faith Over Fear and have your mind and heart fixed on the truth you need for your day! If you like this episode, be sure to subscribe onApple orSpotify so you never miss an episode!