Life is Hard
This is hard. It is perhaps not so hard to forgive a single great injury. But to forgive the incessant provocations of daily life to keep on forgiving the bossy mother-in-law, the bullying husband, the nagging wife, the selfish daughter, the deceitful son—How can we do it?
Only, I think, by remembering where we stand, by meaning our words when we say in our prayers each night “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us!” We are offered forgiveness on no other terms. To refuse it is to refuse God’s mercy for ourselves. There is no hint of exceptions.
—C. S. Lewis,
book Fern-Seed and Elephants
When we pray, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us,” we are not merely asking for mercy—we’re making a vow. We are placing ourselves in a posture of humility, acknowledging both our need for grace and our responsibility to extend it. It’s a powerful reminder of where we stand: as forgiven people who now reflect the heart of a forgiving God. We are not just recipients of mercy; we are stewards of it. Forgiving others isn’t easy, especially when wounds run deep. But we are not left to do it alone. Jesus, who forgave even as He was crucified, empowers us through His Spirit to forgive—not by denying the pain, but by entrusting it to the One who judges justly. We forgive not because others deserve it, but because we have been forgiven much. Forgiveness begins not in our strength, but in our surrender—by daily returning to the foot of the cross, remembering what was done for us, and choosing to let His mercy flow through us to others. Which offenses are you holding on to today? Who are you struggling to forgive? Let us seize the opportunity we’re given in today’s reading to bring the matter before the throne of grace … where we find help and hope.—DH
—David Hoskins, Founder & Care Guide, Sanctuary Clinics