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God Is Forgiving.Oneof thegreatest

biblicaltruthsisforgivenessof sin(Isaiah

43:25).Forgivenessissuchapowerful

conceptbecauseof theenormityof sin,

thecostof forgiveness—Christ’satoning

death—andourcompleteunworthiness

of thisforgiveness(Colossians2:13–14;

Psalm85:2).Parentsarecalledtomodel

forgivenesstotheirchildren,thekindof

forgiveness,forexample,whichdoesnot

bringuppastmistakes(Psalm32:1;1

John1:9).

It is important that parents

understand their children to be no less

deserving of God’s grace than anyone

else in the world,and with that

understanding comes the mandate of

our forgiving them as well.The caution

Jesus gave in parable form of the

unmerciful servant applies,likewise,to

parents and their relationship with their

children:

Tragically,many an unforgiving

parent haslikewiseexperiencedthe

torturesof their own personaljailers

(often self-inflicted).Bitterly they refuse

toextenda fraction of themercy Godhas

extendedtothem,andthehardquestion

Chapter 7

God wants parents to have a close,

intimate relationship with their

children just as He wants to

with each human being.

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Cleaning and scrubbing can wait till

tomorrow ...

for babies grow up as I’ve learned to

my sorrow ...

So quiet down,cobwebs—dust,go

to sleep ...

I’m rocking my baby,and babies

don’t keep!

(Hamilton,1958)

Thenthemastercalledtheservant

in.“Youwickedservant,”hesaid,

“Icanceledallthatdebtof yours

becauseyoubeggedmeto.

Shouldn’tyouhavehadmercyon

yourfellowservantjustasIhadon

you?”Inangerhismasterturned

himovertothejailerstobe

tortured,untilheshouldpayback

allheowed.Thisishowmy

heavenlyFatherwilltreateachof

youunlessyouforgiveyour

brotherfromyourheart.

(Matthew18:32–35)