“If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.” — Matthew 6:14-15
“Then Peter approaching asked him, ‘Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.’” — Matthew 18:21-22
Christian Bible Lesson Overview
It took me a long time to learn that not forgiving someone causes me stress in addition to the hurt feelings of the other person. I did not think about the time, energy, and stress it took not to let a situation go. Forgiving someone ends that stress right then.
I had no patience for people who made the same mistakes repeatedly until I read an article that asked me to review the times I repeated the same mistake. Sometimes I repeated the same mistake because I did not realize what I was doing. Other times, I was doing something I knew was wrong, but I wanted something for myself. It takes discipline not to repeat the same mistake, even when it may be to your short-term advantage to make a mistake.
Christian Bible Lesson for Today
After I thought about my mistakes, some I realized some of them were repeated many times; I had a lot more patience for others who repeat the same mistake. God allows me to make the same mistake repeatedly. I should forgive others and help them see their pattern.
When I review my own mistakes, there are several major transgressions I made several times. One of the most frequent transgressions I made in my business did not mention a potential complication with our software application. It was not until I studied Christian Lessons that I realized it is critical to communicate everything when entering a business relationship. There will always be a few surprises in a new business relationship, but if I make every effort to be as honest as possible, the customer will not experience surprises.
Christian Bible Lesson Summary
After thinking about all the mistakes I repeated, it was not difficult to see how others may repeat their mistakes. I am convinced that it is much better for my health and well being to reduce stress and let most situations go. I make a major effort to forgive, even if the incident is a repeat.