So in case you're wondering why I chose the title, "Married Mortals", I thought I'd explain. It's because - wait for it - your marriage is not perfect!!! I know, if you've been married for more than 24 hrs., you probably already know that. But it is SO important to realize that the reason your marriage is not perfect is because you are not perfect - nor is your spouse.
We are all imperfect human beings. No matter how much we try, how much advice or counseling we get, or how old we are or how many years we've been married, we are going to mess up. A lot! And if you cannot forgive each other - a lot - you're in trouble. And if you think you don't mess up, ask your spouse. But be willing to HEAR and ACCEPT the answer.
Sometimes it is not easy to forgive. But forgiving really has nothing to do with feelings. You can be mad as can be at your spouse, but you can still forgive by an act of your will. The key is to remember how much you've been forgiven. If you're a Christian, that makes it much easier, because you know how much God has forgiven you. Besides that, if you're a Christian, forgiving is not an option. Read - or reread - Matthew 6:14-15 and Matthew 18:21-35. That pretty much says it all. And the only way we can forgive is with God's forgiveness. And He loves to help us with that! Thank goodness!
If you're not a Christian, please consider what Christ has done for you. He willingly died on the cross in your place in order to pay the penalty that is due for your sins. He was the perfect, sinless Sacrifice and God accepted that. So everything's been done in order for you to be forgiven for ALL your sins - no matter what they are - past, present and future. All God requires you to do is TRUST or BELIEVE in what Christ has done and change the direction of your life by turning to Him as your own personal Savior and Lord. That's it. Easy enough for a child to do.
So always remember that we're all just a bunch of dirty, rotten sinners. If you're a Christian, you are forgiven when you ask God for forgiveness - as is anyone. But we still live in our dirty, rotten flesh, which still rears its ugly head and wants - maybe even demands - its own way. Or it may be gloating in false self-righteousness. So we just have to remind ourselves that we were crucified with Christ so we can live for Him. And living for Him means forgiving - no matter how hard - just like Christ did on the cross: "Then Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.'" Luke 23:34
