Day 5 - Forgiving Others

“But Aunt Deb,” Amanda grumbled, “Sasha didn’t invite me to go to the movies with the rest of the girls. She didn’t talk to me all day at school, and she laughed when I dropped my book.”

“Amanda,” Aunt Deb said gently. “Remember that Jesus taught us to forgive our debtors.” Amanda rolled her eyes. “Sasha doesn’t owe me money. She’s just been mean and hasn’t acted like my friend at all.”

“Forgiving our debtors is not about money. It is about forgiving people. We may feel they owe us an apology or an explanation, but Jesus taught us to forgive them whether they ask for it or not. When we forgive others, then we can go to God and ask Him to forgive us. Our relationship with God is the most important relationship of all.”

NAIL IT DOWN

Forgiving people can be hard. Even people in the Bible found it hard to do. Look up Matthew 18:21–22 in your Bible. How often did Jesus tell Peter to forgive? Do you think Jesus meant to keep count or to forgive as many times as it takes?

PRAY

Forgiving others can be hard when you are mad. Forgiving helps you be right before God. Ask God to help you forgive others even when it’s hard.