Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. Matthew 18:21-22
“Greatness of soul proves itself also in a willingness to forgive, in matters large and small, whether it be people close to us in our lives or far from us. It is not Christian to go about the world with a list of grievances in one’s heart, cherishing rancorous thoughts and memories that shrink the spirit and make us incapable of the human and divine ideals to which our Lord is calling us. In the same way that God is ready to forgive everyone everything, our capacity to forgive must have no limits. The number of times does not matter. The seriousness of the wrongs done is irrelevant, as is the status of the persons who supposedly guilty of the offenses. Nothing makes us like unto God so much as always being ready to forgive.”
Francis Fernandez in In Conversation with God: Meditations for Each Day of the Year, volume 3 (London: Scepter, 1990) 371.
Traveling internationally may look glamorous but it’s actually really hard. People do things differently, and sometimes it bothers me and pushes my proverbial buttons. Consider the traffic in India. Few roadways are more maddening to navigate. You have to take a deep breath and choose to forgive 70×7 times in a 45-minute airport transfer.
When we cross cultural boundaries and national borders we often step on each other’s toes. And I think it’s ironic that God chose me for this work, because it’s actually hard for me. With a prophetic ministry, I aim to discern what God wants or how God’s Word speaks to a situation, and when the things I see don’t match or are “not right” it’s just hard.
Perhaps you can relate? Maybe not to the international part but the stepping on toes part. We step on the toes of the people around us. We wrong them. We hurt them. This I believe is where real generosity appears. Consider this Bible passage which illustrates the profound implications of “no limits” forgiveness.
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:37-38
If we want God to show us “no limits” forgiveness we get to show it to others. It’s only possible with God’s help and may reflect His love more than any other act.
So far the meetings are going well in Hyderabad, India (pictured above). Keep praying for churches and ministries to embrace peer accountability standards and accreditation. Thanks.
I especially appreciate your prayers for favor for the meetings today connecting IMA (India Missions Association), the largest mission association in the world serving 317 organizations and 60,000 foreign missionaries and 300,000 national missionaries, to NobleRank, the new peer accountability group serving India. The goal is to strengthening the capacities of the organizations and missionaries they serve with standards.
I think it is safe to say there are no limits to the impact that can come from this meeting.