Forgive Quickly

If you’ve been married long enough, raised children, or simply lived around people, you’ve probably discovered something that shouldn’t surprise any of us. People disappoint each other.

Looking back over the years, I’ve learned that families don’t survive because they avoid mistakes. They survive because they learn how to forgive. Because resentment has a way of building walls. Bitterness turns small problems into large ones. And eventually, keeping score becomes exhausting.

The truth is, healthy relationships require grace. Not once. Not twice. But over and over again. And thank God that’s exactly how He loves us.

Peter once asked Jesus how many times he should forgive. Seven times seemed generous enough. But Jesus had something much bigger in mind. Because the kingdom of God has always been built upon grace.

Musonius Rufus believed that love and virtue require patience with human weakness. Perhaps that’s because none of us are as easy to live with as we think.