Forgiving and being forgiven can sometimes make you feel like you’re going in circles. Here’s some relief from the dizziness.

2 min read

"...If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive. Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive." -Jesus, Luke 17:3-4

One of the best and hardest things about forgiveness is that there is no limit to it. As Christians, we still have an innate tendency to default to our old, pre-Jesus ways. Every time this happens, which is frequently, God kindly gives us the opportunity to acknowledge it, make adjustments, and go in a better direction (i.e., repent).

This is good if you are the one who messed up, but not so much if you are not the one who messed up but yet find yourself in an all too familiar situation.

When you have that sense that we’ve been here before, either as the offender or as the offended, it can be frustrating. When you feel like you are just going in circles and repeating the same circuit over and again, it’s tempting to just give up on it.

In the context of relationships, bearing with that person who has a life struggle that is negatively affecting you can be really hard. Addiction, anger issues, irresponsibility, chronic dishonesty, or severe stubbornness are just some of the possibilities. You might find yourself on that dizzying loop of “I’m sorry,” “I forgive you,” then repeat.

Yet, on some level, this is a reality for any relationship. We are all imperfect beings, lumps of clay in the hands of the Potter. He shapes us and makes us into something glorious, but not in a day. Personal transformation has always been more of a process than an event.

When Jesus said to forgive a repentant person seven times in the same day, he was correcting those in the crowd that had a three-strike rule, believing that after someone repeated a sin three times there was no more forgiveness available. Jesus made it clear that when it comes to personal forgiveness, there is no such thing as a three-strike rule. He doesn’t have a three-strike rule, so neither should we. Just forgive, that’s the only rule.

On this side of Heaven, we will have never repented or forgiven someone for the last time. There will always be a next time. Hopefully, it won’t be seven times in the same day (that was probably hyperbole), but it is inevitable, there will be an occasion where, once again, we will either need to seek forgiveness, extend forgiveness, or both.

Forgiveness is not easy, but it is necessary. Thank God for forgiveness.

It’s a new day with God. Run with it.