Matthew 6:14-15

“14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

Throughout our journey in life, it is inevitable that we will encounter situations where individuals may cause us pain through their actions. These actions could lead us to feel as though we have been wronged or sinned against in some way. We are not in heaven yet, and we still have to deal with sin, and that includes the sins of others against us. When others sin against us, we have a choice to make: to either put on the likeness and attitude of Christ, forgiving others even when it is hardest, or act in the ways the world would, being bitter and unforgiving, not moving past the wrongdoing and letting it harbor up hate in your heart.

God calls us to use Christ as the measuring stick to which we compare ourselves, not other people. Jesus had his mindset on things above and the true kingdom that is to come. When we shift our focus to Jesus and his grace in moments of bitterness, it will shed new light on a situation, causing a moment of pain to turn into an opportunity for forgiveness. God calls us to take that opportunity to show grace where it is underserved, forgiving where it hurts to spread the undeserving love of God that he first showed to us. Doing this is no easy task, just as it wasn’t for Jesus either. Picture this for a second: Jesus, in every situation he faced where he was wronged all the way to his death on the cross, had the ability and power to stop it all, yet he didn’t. Can you imagine the torment at Calvery, especially knowing he could stop it all right then and there? The pain not only physically but mentally is immeasurable, yet he chose to choose forgiveness even in the hardest moment, leading to the greatest act of mercy ever shown.

God calls us to forgive in difficult moments, using the opportunity to extend the same mercy that was shown to us by Christ. Look to Jesus for strength, and he will help you in the act of forgiveness.

• Tyler