Sarah's Devotional Sent To Her School's Chapter of The Fellowship of Christian Athletes 9-17-06

“It’s not fair!! Katie put soap all over my toothbrush and now I have to brush my teeth with a soapy brush everyday!!! I can’t believe her!!!” The little girl I babysat would not stop yelling! I told her she has to learn to forgive in life, so she yelled at me again, “She knocked over my doll house, she wet on the floor, AND she put soap on my toothbrush last week, I don’t want to forgive her! She better say sorry at least 5 times!!!!!!” I looked up to the Heavens and shook my head and I said “Lord, I praise you that you aren’t like that!!”

 

How bad off would we be if the Lord only forgave us if we asked him 5 times; or if he only forgave us after crying and yelling at us for hours? I don’t know about you, but I make mistakes ALL the time. We are all sinners saved by pure grace. Do we really understand amazing grace really is?

 

 1 John 1:9 says “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us of our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” The word of God does not say ‘and purify us from SOME unrighteousness’ it says ALL unrighteousness! It is so obvious that God is a loving God. He longs for us to quickly repent and ask for forgiveness right away when we sin. No matter what we have done. Instead of scolding us, he just longs to love us and forgive us. All we have to do is ask!

 

There is NO one else like God. I don’t care how wonderful your grandma or neighbor is best friend is. God is the only person who UNCONDITIONALLY  loves and forgives right away the way He does . It is amazing. How can we not have Him in our lives? He completes us. He will come into the heart of any lost soul. No matter what they have done or who they are. All they have to do is ask Jesus to come into their heart, and… he will.

 

 If we just confess our sins, he forgives and forgets. He doesn’t hide our sins under a mattress for future upbringing; he basically throws it out into the sea and forgets. He said that our sins are as far the east is from the west if we are truly sorry. And I find that to be wonderful.

 

What guilt I would walk around with if I didn’t have Jesus to forgive me daily!  But there is one caveat… Mark 11: 25-26 tells us, “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." We must forgive one another as well. Also in Matthew 18:22 Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to 7 times 7?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you up to 7 times 7, but up to 70 times 7!” Our Savior basically said there should be no limit to our forgiveness. What kind of world would this be if everyone held a grudge against everyone else?

 

It is hard to forgive people. Very hard. but it is not a choice.  It is something we have to do. We must realize that we are all sinners. People will fail you. That’s just human nature. But the Lord God Almighty won’t. So we lean on Him and trust Him with our life. But we must forgive people along that journey, just as he forgives us. It takes time to forget, but we must forgive. So guys, the next time your sister puts soap in your toothbrush, what have you learned? You're going to forgive her just like our wonderful God forgives us! 

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