Forgiveness (3)

Mark 8:34 – “And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them,

Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”

Luke 11:4 – “Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.

And lead us not into temptation.'”

The Bible says, "But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins" (Mt. 6:15).  When spouses make mistakes, they should forgive each other.  The one who has erred should not just end with saying "I am sorry" but should also be able to say, "I am wrong" and articulate specifically what they did wrong to their spouse.  Furthermore, they should demonstrate a commitment to avoid repeating the mistake in the future.  However, forgiveness is not an easy task.  The challenge arises from our inherent selfish nature, which tends to believe that the faults of others are greater and more numerous than our own.  Additionally, our instinct is to desire and expect the other person to forgive us rather than forgiving them.  Conquering this selfish instinct is a difficult and challenging task.  Forgiving one's spouse requires denying oneself and making sacrifices (Mk. 8:34).  Yet, the rewards of forgiveness are beautiful.  When a spouse forgives, the other should reciprocate.  However, forgiveness should be done in the spirit of "as God in Christ forgave you" (Eph. 4:32).  Just as a sinner like oneself has been forgiven by God through Jesus Christ, continues to be forgiven, and will be forgiven in the future, believing in this, one should forgive their spouse's mistakes.  After forgiveness, one should accept their spouse as they are and love them with God's love.  In doing so, one can pray to the Lord in this manner: “Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.  And lead us not into temptation” (Lk. 11:4).