Practice doesn’t make perfect.

I was talking with a middle schooler yesterday. He was struggling with forgiving his siblings because they wrong him over and over. He asked me a similar question that was asked to Jesus in Matthew 18 almost verbatim,

“…how often should I forgive a brother who sins against me?”

It was a beautiful teachable moment to be able to give the Gospel, to explain forgiveness and grace in a way that he can see how Christ has extended forgiveness to him in his own life and then be able to pay it forward to others who wrong him.

We’ve all been there before. Wondering how long we can go on forgiving the same person for the same sins. Seven times over? Four hundred and ninety times? As much as it takes really… In our relationship with Christ, we are saved by grace, and adopted as his child. Our position doesn’t change based on our performance. Our eternal security isn’t more or less secure because of our works, good or bad. Our forgiveness is based on Jesus’ finished work on the cross not our good behavior (filthy rags).

How can we withhold forgiveness to others, when we have been shown such timeless (infinite) forgiveness. This kids’ reason to withold forgiveness seemed pretty trite to me in the grand scheme of all the wrongs we might face in life requiring a choice to forgive. But I wonder what God thinks of our reasoning when we childishly and selfishly withold forgivness.

Whether it’s an annoying sibling or a stumbling friend, I think if we struggle with forgiving those around us, then perhaps we haven’t yet fully grasped the brand of forgiveness that God has extended to us through the Gospel.

Solution? Preach the Gospel to yourself, everyday. Every. Day.

1. God is holy, He loves me and desired to have a relationship with me (John 3:16)

2. I am a sinner that needed rescued (Romans 3:23)

3. Jesus died in my place and rose again (I Peter 2:24)

4. I’ve been adopted into Gods family (Ephesians 1:5)

5. Thank you, God! May I live out your Gospel today…

The more the Gospel is in our minds, saturating our first-thoughts each day, the more we will live it out. Then, put forgiveness into practice when the opportunity arises.

Practice what you preach:)

#Gospel #youthministry