Unconditional Love

Should we forgive those who continually hurt us? A human's heart is like a stone once it has been hurt repeatedly by someone they care for or love, it weighs them down inside. A human's heart can be fickle, unloving, and unkind.

But what does GOD tell us to do? Let's take a look inside two books of the bible, Matthew and Daniel.

Matthew 18:21-22 "Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" (listen to how Christ responds)
Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times." (or seventy times seven depending on what version of the bible you have)

How much is seventy times seven? Wow...490 times, but why such a random odd number, or is it? Let's dig a little further back into history and go meet Daniel.

Daniel 9:24 "Seventy" sevens are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy.

(Gabriel, the man Daniel had seen in his vision earlier, came to give him insight and understanding, telling him that he was highly esteemed by his Lord. Gabriel shared with Daniel how from the issuing decree to rebuild and restore Jerusalem until the Anointed One comes there will be seven "sevens" and sixty two "sevens". We are given 490 years to repent of all of our sins and return to the one who created us.

GOD gives each of us Seventy times Seven in forgiveness, how can we not follow His lead and do the same to our friends, family, neighbors and strangers. How can we still hold a grudge when GOD gave His only child to us who died on the cross to save all of us from sin? Can you picture the overwhelming despair and grief of a father who loved that much? He gave up his only son who took all sin upon himself the day He hung upon the Cross, to save us all, not to watch us destroy each other, not to watch us kill another, not to watch race fight against race, not to hear all the hate that comes out of our mouths, but to redeem all of us that are unredeemable on our own.

So when I find myself hurting from words said by another that I care for or love, as a human my first reaction is to give back just what they are giving me, hurt. But GOD stops me...He tells me that I must let all those transgressions against me go, to forgive the one hurting me, to forgive the one who causes unbearable grief. I'm human, I do get angry, I do cry, I do get bitter, I have held grudges and not forgiven in the past but to be brought before my Lord as He so patiently does time and time again reminds me of just how much He forgave me so I may have everlasting life in Him.