Moment of Meditation: Forgive Our Sins (Matthew 6:12)

Forgive our sins, Lord, we implore,
that they may trouble us no more;
we, too, will gladly those forgive
who hurt us by the way they live.
Help us in our community
to serve each other willingly.
(LSB #766.6)

Forgive Our Sins

Forgiveness is the most difficult gift we ask for in our prayers. Oh, certainly, we might be eager to receive our own forgiveness of sins. But being able to forgive others when they sin against us. That's our biggest problem. We want to hold grudges.

It's been that way since Adam and Eve. After they were banished from the Garden, I'm sure they spent the next nine hundred years arguing over whose fault it was that they were cast out of Paradise. That their children were born as sinful beings. Adam would likely say, "You're the one who listened to the serpent." Eve would respond with, "You were right there with me. You didn't stop me from taking the fruit." On and on probably went, day after day.

But forgiveness is what we need to exercise every day. Not just asking for forgiveness. Giving forgiveness. We don't live in a perfect world. Our lives will never be perfect. But we strive to make it better. The only way to better society is to be a forgiver. Forgivers make the world a better place to live by being forgiving. Be a forgiver today and always. Amen.