Pace with Grace
(forgiveness)4 min read

Untying the Knots of Unforgiveness

By the Pace with Grace editorial team

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, 'Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?' Jesus answered, 'I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.'

Forgiveness is not a feeling, it's a choice. A choice to untie the knots that bind us to the past, to the hurt, to the anger.

Peter thought he was being generous, offering to forgive seven times. But Jesus blows that out of the water, telling him to forgive seventy-seven times.

Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him.

Matthew 18:23-35

The parable that follows is not just about forgiveness, it's about the economy of heaven. Where forgiveness is not just a one-time transaction, but a continuous cycle of giving and receiving.

When we choose to forgive, we're not saying what happened was okay, we're saying we won't let it define us. We're taking back control, we're breaking free from the weight of unforgiveness.

God, I'm tired of carrying this weight, tired of being tied to the past. Help me to forgive, to let go, to choose freedom. Seventy-seven times, and then some. Amen.

When this hits in real life.

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