70x7

Yesterday was a tough day.  It seemed like every time I turned around, every word out of my mouth, every thought that passed through my mind was a constant failure in the sight of God.

I mean, when it comes to sinning, I have my good days and I have my bad days.  There are those days that honestly, I look back and think, “I can’t recall anything to ask forgiveness for.”  Then I have my days like yesterday, where there just is not enough time in the night to seek God’s forgiveness, let alone, the guilt I was in was a prison for my mind and my emotions. 

I could not shake the thought, that there is no way God would want to forgive me as much as I needed it yesterday.  I felt like every 10 minutes I was asking him to forgive me for something, and after a while, I felt foolish and no longer wanted to seek His forgiveness.

Then that passage popped into my mind where Jesus told his disciples not to forgive 7 times but to forgive 70x7.  He basically instructed his disciples to forgive that person in their life that was completely annoying, and sinful, as many times as they would ask.  He said to them in my words, “There should be no limit to your forgiveness.” (NAS Matthew 18:21-23). 

As I thought about that verse, I realized that Jesus instructed his disciples to follow his example.  That Jesus himself was saying, “This is how much I have forgiven you, therefore do the same.”

The thought is still sobering; that Jesus would want to constantly forgive me of my sins, even on those bad days. 

I honestly cannot fathom that.  I cannot wrap my mind around that concept.  Because it is very hard for me to love those around me that are constantly doing me wrong.  From my human perspective, I cannot understand how Jesus can effortlessly forgive me 70x7 (And I probably asked that many times yesterday).

But, the Apostle Paul’s words ring loud and clear from Ephesians 3 when he says;

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, ¹⁶ that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

²⁰ Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.