Seek Out Forgiveness

23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

Matthew 5:23-24 (NIV)

Have you ever hurt someone?  Have you ever said or done something that caused pain or grief for someone else?  It seems to be a situation that happens to even the best of us.  We may normally be a very controlled and a very kind person, someone who is very cautious with what we say and tries very hard to never mistreat others.  But from time to time those situations arise where our tempers get the best of us and we lash out in anger, or we suddenly come up with a brilliant one liner that we know will have everyone laughing, even if it does humiliate the person it’s directed at.

We can all do things sometimes that hurt someone else, be it intentionally or unintentionally.  When that happens, Jesus calls us to go and make things right with that person we’ve hurt as soon as we can, if not immediately.  As Christians we are called to be reconcilers.  Jesus teaches his followers to be peacemakers.  We may mess up from time to time and do or say things we know we shouldn’t.  In those times we should ask forgiveness from God, but then it is important that we go and ask forgiveness from the person we have hurt as well.

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