"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also fogive you."

Forgiving another person is never easy if the hurt is deep. Had it been easy, our Father will not have commanded us to do it. Letting the emotion to lead, forgiving will most likely not be the destination. Hence, God intervened by telling us that He expects us to forgive just as He had forgiven us. If we expect Him to forgive, we too must forgive.

I think we miss the point when turn this into a question of whether God's forgiveness is dependent on our forgiving of others. God's forgiveness is dependent on the completed work of Christ on the Cross. And the verse tell us that He is our heavenly Father, hence, relationship is sealed.

What we ought to worry is whether we have forgiven others. Cos, then we can experience His forgiveness. God has commanded us to forgive because of His pastoral care for us. It is so easy to mask our unforgiveness by hidding it with excuses or temporal amnesia.

God's command comes with His assurance that the Holy Spirit will surely help us to reach that. Turn to Him as we struggle to forgive. His Son is the perfect example for us to follow.

Lord, than you for forgiving me. Help to forgive when it is hard to. Amen