Infinity Times Seven

When Peter asked if he ought to forgive until seven times, Jesus replied that he should strive to forgive seventy times seven times. If we can show enough love and compassion and understanding to fully and sincerely forgive someone almost five hundred times, then hopefully by that point we will have built up enough of a relationship with that person that our kindness and decency has changed both them and ourselves for the better. But just as it is important to forgive those who have wronged us five hundred times, it is important that we be just as thorough and persistent and indefatigable in seeking our own forgiveness. We might say, Lord, I have sinned against thee and sought forgiveness these seven times. It is enough. I won’t ever be able to change. I won’t ever be worthy enough to merit thy grace or be called thy child or take thy name upon me. But the Lord doesn’t want us to stop seeking His forgiveness after just seven times. Keep going, He says. Ask for forgiveness an eighth time, a hundredth time. Keep asking forgiveness until seventy times seven, and then if you haven’t worked out the kinks in your soul by that point, just keep trying anyway. If it takes seven or four hundred and ninety or ten thousand tries, keep going. Christ’s atonement is infinite. He can afford to forgive us seventy times seventy times seventy times seventy times. He will keep loving and encouraging and lifting and healing and changing and forgiving us over and over and over again. Every time we truly and sincerely repent, Christ frankly and fully forgives us. So many of God’s children give up on seeking forgiveness that He is delighted by those who keep trying after even four hundred and ninety failures. God will not only forgive us seventy times seven, but Infinity times seven.