Photo by Shalone Cason on Unsplash
I am a sinner. I am selfish. I am greedy. I am mean. I am inconsiderate of others. I sin. I fail. I commit evil.
If I am going to be forgiven, I need to own my sinfulness. I cannot say I am not as bad as others so that is good enough. I must admit I am a sinner.
But, that is not where it stops. I need to remember that God loves me more than I can know. I must remember that while God is just, he is also merciful. So even though I am a sinner, what is more important, is that when I bring my sinfulness to Jesus, he forgives me. And when I am forgiven, I am able to enter into the love of God.
But it also means I need to forgive. I need to imitate God’s love. To be forgiven I forgive. This is because my heart can only become open to forgiveness when I am able to think of all persons as my brothers and sisters.
Let us pray. Dear Jesus, Help me to know that you love me more than I can know. I know that sometimes I sin, and I can become overwhelmed. At other times, I minimize my sinfulness and take the easy way. But when I realize fully the love of Jesus for me, I can find myself ready to trust in his mercy more fully. Lord, help me to do this. I make this prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.
