“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”[Galatians 5:22–23]
“If my brother offends me, how many times shall I forgive him?” someone once asked Jesus, before offering a hopeful guess. “Seven times?”
“No, seventy times seven!” was Jesus’ reply.[Matthew 18:21–22] In other words, we should never stop forgiving.
Now that’s love! And Jesus wasn’t just talking about lovingly and patiently forgiving our siblings, spouses, or close friends, but also overbearing bosses and coworkers, wayward subordinates, and cantankerous neighbors—anyone and everyone, in fact. This is so contrary to human nature that such loving patience could only come from God Himself.
Hasn’t God forgiven you “seventy times seven”? Doesn’t that make you want to extend that same love and mercy and forgiveness to others, so they can also come to know Him and experience His forgiveness?
“Love suffers long, and is [still] kind.”[1 Corinthians 13:4] “A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition.”[2 Timothy 2:24–25]
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”[Galatians 5:22–23]
“If my brother offends me, how many times shall I forgive him?” someone once asked Jesus, before offering a hopeful guess. “Seven times?”
“No, seventy times seven!” was Jesus’ reply.[Matthew 18:21–22] In other words, we should never stop forgiving.
Now that’s love! And Jesus wasn’t just talking about lovingly and patiently forgiving our siblings, spouses, or close friends, but also overbearing bosses and coworkers, wayward subordinates, and cantankerous neighbors—anyone and everyone, in fact. This is so contrary to human nature that such loving patience could only come from God Himself.
Hasn’t God forgiven you “seventy times seven”? Doesn’t that make you want to extend that same love and mercy and forgiveness to others, so they can also come to know Him and experience His forgiveness?
“Love suffers long, and is [still] kind.”[1 Corinthians 13:4] “A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition.”[2 Timothy 2:24–25]