Seventy Seven Times

People do. People talk.
If you’re caught in the middle of intolerance and condescension, or right at the center of rumour-mongering folks, or of people who are quick to condemn, quick to assume, quick to take a swipe at things, or of people who make haste to judge, to accuse, to make unjust criticisms, who dismiss you and leave you for the dogs, if you are in the middle of it all — take a pause and be quick to kneel. Take it to the Rock that is higher than you. (See Psalm 61)
In today’s culture, we are bent on exercising self-esteem and the concept of “payback” — You-ruined-me,-I’ll-ruin-you mentality.
I don’t know about you, but I guess you’ll agree with me when I say it is easy to take matters into your own hands, or even think that you have things under control. But no, it’s not true for most cases. Actually, it is not true at all. Things happen because they ought to happen. They may happen at once, or one at a time. But it will happen, nonetheless. And whether you admit it or not, you will never be in control of any situation especially the outcome and the consequences of each deliberate action. There are no alternate universes applicable, if you believe in God’s will.
No matter what your belief system is, or your politics, or your convictions, there will always be people different than you. People who also sin differently than you.
People will err. Even you make terrible mistakes.
None is exempted.
None is righteous.
No one.
Even so, we are demanded to keep still. We are allowed to hurt. To take it all in eventhough you’re foaming-at-the-mouth seething with anger.
But anger mustn’t consume you. We are demanded to take anger aside and not act upon it, as if possessed by it.
More importantly, we’ve been taught to forgive. We’ve been taught to free people from their debts, from their trespasses, from their sins — no matter how excruciating it may be.
I remember reading about Peter asking Jesus a very interesting question. he inquired, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?”Then Jesus replied, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy seven times.” (Matthew 18:21–22)
Now, the things I mentioned earlier — intolerance and condescension, gossiping folks, public condemnation, public shaming, etc. Those things could be devastating and paralyzing. But despite all that, we are told to forgive people over and over.
We ought to know that the church is no place for grudges. Our lives should not to be characterised by resentment, bitterness, grudges, and the desire to exact revenge. Those things will consume us. They will petrify your core, like an organic matter ossified — buried deep down inside you. They are poisons of varying potency. All of of those, coupled with pride, are extremely destructive.
They can only be dissolved in and through a forgiving attitude.
And so because there will always be imperfections, and always be errors, and misjudgments, and sins, there will always be a great need for the exercise of forgiveness in our lives. And wherever there is an unforgiving attitude, there will be a fracturing of relationships, and there will be a limiting of the usefulness, and there will be a stealing of the joy that we should experience. There will be no peace.
I remember in one of John MacArthur’s sermons, he said:
“Forgiveness is the most godlike act a person can do — forgiveness is the most godlike act a person can do. Nothing is more godlike than forgiving someone, and never are you more like God than when you forgive.”
He went further, expounding the whole concept for us —
“Forgiveness is a marvelous thing. Forgiveness is a promise. Forgiveness is a pledge. Forgiveness is a statement of undeserved, unearned love, that says no matter what you’ve done, there is no anger, no matter what you’ve done, there is no hatred, no matter what you’ve done, there is no desire for vengeance, no matter what you’ve done, there will never be any retaliation. I pass by that transgression completely. I do not hold you guilty. I do not blame you. I feel no self-pity for myself because I’ve been offended; rather, I pass by that transgression completely, and extend my love to you fully. That’s forgiveness, and that’s godlike.”
So, how many times do we need to forgive others? Even when I’m on the verge of gnashing my teeth and tearing my hair out, I keep reminding myself this: Over and over. No matter how painful.
Deanne
