Forgiven To Forgive

We have an unspoken social custom that says when we receive something from someone, we should find a way to repay the kindness or gift. Sometimes we try to get out from under the social norm by rationalizing why we think that we are not obligated to return the favor. At times, we may not be obligated to return the favor or we may be unable to do so. But the greater the kindness or gift given to us, the more we feel the pressure, at least internally, to return the favor.

The Lord’s Prayer continues; “and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12) We receive forgiveness through the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. Through that most generous gift of grace and mercy we are forgiven, when we accept the gift by faith. Since we have so generously and graciously received forgiveness, we should also forgive when others offend us.

Entitlement

Today, we talk a lot about entitlement. The news and social media frequently report stories on people who seem to have a sense of entitlement, meaning that they expect certain things to be given to them. When this type of person does not easily receive what they feel that they are entitled to receive, they generally become loud and demanding.

Jesus’ instruction on prayer continues, “Give us this day our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11) Jesus encourages us to ask for what we need, even the basic necessities. Asking for these things reminds us that He is our provider, who freely gives us what we need. When He answers our prayer, our faith becomes stronger when we remember to thank Him for His provision, which He is under no compulsion to provide, but rather gives out of His generous grace.

Whom Will You Serve

While we are familiar with kingdoms in the United States, I don’t think we fully understand the impact of living under a monarchy. In these goverments, the king has the final say as to what can or cannot be done. His will rules the nation and people must honor and obey the king or queen. The monarchy can choose to be self-serving or benevolent toward the people.

Jesus continued to teach us to pray, “You kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10) This part of the prayer calls upon Jesus to rule in our hearts and help us to faithfully follow Him. He is truly a benevolent King with power and authority over all people and nations. We can submit to His rule in our hearts because we know that He loves us and will do good for us.

Holy Father

Some of us grew up with less than perfect fathers. They were absent or nonsupporting. Many were even cruel and abusive. For that, I am truly sorry, but know that I grew up in the same environment. So our view of fatherhood, is probably distorted by our experiences. But we have the perfect, holy, Father in heaven that wants to heal these broken places and replace them with His all-encompassing love.

Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” (Matthew 6:9) How awesome it is to know that God is our faithful Father, who is always loving us, protecting us, providing for us, caring for us, drawing us close to Him, and giving us good gifts. And He does all this from His majesty on His throne over all things in heaven and on earth. Nothing can keep His steadfast love from us.

Strengthened Heart

Recently, I was diagnosed with a degree of heart failure. It is a humbling prognosis discovering that my heart is weak. But on another level, I have always known that my heart fails me at times. Sometimes, I can not do the good things that I want to do. At other times, I do the very thing that I don’t want to do.

Psalm 73:26 says, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” We may fail at many things, but God will always give us strength to keep moving forward. He has already granted us the victory over sin and death in Jesus Christ. He will strengthen our hearts to do the good things that He wants us to do and reject the bad things that He doesn’t want us to do.