Why we need to forgive And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. —Matthew 6:12
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s a caregiver, you are likely to feel wronged or unappreciated at some point. A brother or sister blames you for Dad’s illness and insists that taking care of him is your job. A spouse asks why you don’t pay him more attention, even though you are exhausted from caring for your child. The very person you are taking care of berates you for her troubles.
that we’re not entitled to a self-righteous attitude, even as caregivers who have been more than willing to give. Why? Because we’re all rebellious sinners, broken by bitterness and perverted by pride. It was only by God’s grace and mercy, poured out at the cross, that we were forgiven. And as recipients of that grace, we are compelled to forgive out of gratitude.
How do you deal with the anger and bitterness that you feel? How do you cope with the overwhelming sense of injustice and unfairness? How do you release the grudge that grips your heart—even though you know you are supposed to forgive?
Jesus made this link when He taught His disciples how to pray about forgiveness: “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). The parable of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18:21–35) emphasises this point: we forgive because we were first forgiven.
Now, this may be a challenging thing to do, but we need to start by remembering
Let us draw on this truth—that we ourselves have received abundant forgiveness
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