May 5

That is how My heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart. — Matt 18:35 BSB

If we’ve truly experienced God’s forgiveness, we will be forgiving toward others. Someone once said, “If you receive pardon from God, you will give it to your brother; but if you withhold it from your brother, you show that you haven’t truly received it from God.”

This brings us face to face with a serious truth we cannot ignore. Do we have a forgiving spirit? Can we sincerely pray, “Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us”? It’s not an easy lesson to learn because it goes against our natural instincts. But we know from experience that holding on to resentment never brings peace to our hearts. Some people say, “Revenge is sweet,” but that’s not true. Harboring a grudge only brings bitterness to the one who holds it. The momentary satisfaction of getting revenge quickly turns into lasting pain.