Tonight two of the children disobeyed. After much weeping we (Tommy, the children and myself) had a conversation about the difference between worldly sorrow and godly sorrow. One leads to feeling terrible, the other leads to repentance. A little more conversation about repentance and they both confessed their wrongdoing and asked for forgiveness. I freely and joyfully gave it and before I finished the word one of them yells out, "look, that's a dog park."
My first reaction was to take back the forgiveness and go over everything again, because how could it be genuine? I wanted to make them understand and feel the weight and relief of sin and forgiveness. Then it hit me: they had felt the weight and the IMMEDIATE relief of forgiveness. The tears were over and the offense was no longer held against them. I stopped before I started. This is how God forgives. Completely. Immediately. Without demanding payment after repentance. Sin has already been paid for! True, there are still consequences to sin but the debt is paid. Why is it so difficult to remember this?
Lord, thank you so much for teaching me through your word (I am in Judges and the Israelites were constantly sinning and repenting and God still forgives) and through my children about your forgiveness!
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