Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples, once asked Jesus a question that a lot of us probably wonder about: “Lord, how many times should I forgive someone who keeps doing mean things to me?” Peter thought he was being pretty generous when he suggested forgiving someone seven times. After all, the religious teachers of that day said you only had to forgive someone three times!

But Jesus blew Peter’s mind when He said, “Not seven times, but seventy times seven!” That’s 490 times, but Jesus wasn’t saying to actually keep count. He was saying we should forgive without limits!

Then Jesus explained something really important: “God forgives your sins the same way you forgive other people’s sins.” That’s a pretty serious statement! Jesus was basically saying, “If you want God to keep forgiving you when you mess up, you need to keep forgiving others when they mess up.”

This doesn’t mean that God’s forgiveness depends on how good we are at forgiving others. It means that when we truly understand how much God has forgiven us, it becomes much easier to forgive other people! Think about it: God has forgiven you for every lie you’ve ever told, every time you’ve been mean to someone, every time you’ve disobeyed your parents, and every sin you’ll ever commit in the future. That’s a LOT of forgiveness!

Take Action: Is there someone in your life who has hurt your feelings or been mean to you? Maybe a sibling who’s annoying, a friend who said something hurtful, or a classmate who was unkind? This week ask God to help you forgive that person the same way He has forgiven you. Remember, forgiving doesn’t mean what they did was okay—it means you’re choosing not to stay angry about it. When we forgive others, it actually helps US feel better too!