Forgiveness is a very important part of the Christian’s journey, but sometimes we fail at it because we want God to forgive us; however, we don’t always want to forgive our brothers and sisters. Some Christians even go as far as saying, “I’ll take it to my grave before I forgive…” Jesus taught us how to forgive as He hung on that old rugged cross. He did not lash out at the people who jeered at Him, showing no remorse. Instead, He said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34 ESV). Can you imagine what our lives would be like if God refused to forgive us for our sins?
Here is a perfect analogy entitled “Rain,” by Brenda Hunter, that gives a profound look into what our sins are like in relationship to God’s forgiveness.
“One rainy afternoon I was driving along one of the main streets of town, taking those extra precautions necessary when the roads are wet and slick. Suddenly, my son, Matthew, spoke up from his relaxed position in his seat. ‘Mom, I’m thinking of something.’
“This announcement usually meant he had been pondering some fact for a while, and was now ready to expound all that his six-year-old mind had discovered. I was eager to hear. ‘What are you thinking?’ I asked.
“The rain,’ he began, ‘is like sin, and the windshield wipers are like God wiping our sins away!’
“After the chill bumps raced up my arms I was able to respond, ‘That’s really good, Matthew.’ Then my curiosity broke in. How far would this little boy take this revelation? So I asked... ‘Do you notice how the rain keeps on coming? What does that tell you?’
“Matthew didn’t hesitate one moment with his answer: ‘We keep on sinning, and God just keeps on forgiving us.’ I will always remember this whenever I turn my wipers on. In order to see the rainbow, you must first endure some rain. We must continually come to the Lord and seek His forgiveness.”
We sin daily, yet God continues to forgive us daily, because He loves us so much and wants us to live with Him eternally in His kingdom. However, there is a process to forgiveness. God forgives; do you? Read and focus on Matthew 6:14-15. Always abound in the faith, and never leave home without Him!
