Jesus taught us in Matthew 10:29 that not even a sparrow falls to the ground apart from the will of our Father. From Jesus’ teaching here, we
learn that nothing in God’s creation happens apart from His knowledge and His will, not even an event as insignificant as the death of one sparrow.
Nothing touches our lives apart from the will of our sovereign God and
Father, who sometimes allows suffering and loss to come into our lives through the sins of others.
When we endure unjust suffering because of the transgressions of others, whether the offense comes through an unbeliever or through another believer, such sufferings are for us a share in the sufferings of Christ. He suffered at the hands of evil men, though He had done nothing to deserve it. And He also suffered because of the sins of those who would be reconciled to God through His suffering and death. Jesus’ sufferings occurred according to the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God our Father (Acts 2:23- 24), as do the sufferings of every one of us who is called to follow Him.
As recipients of His mercy and forgiveness, God requires that we in turn must extend our forgiveness to others. This can be a very hard thing when we have suffered a great loss through the wrongdoing of others.
Though we may struggle with unforgiveness for a time, we will ultimately be given Christ’s grace and strength in a measure sufficient for our need to forgive those who have sinned against us.
As long as the struggle with unforgiveness persists, let us continue to pray to our Father, asking for His help in forgiving those who have sinned against us. It is His will that we obey Him in this matter, as in all others, and therefore we can be assured that we will receive the help we ask from Him (1 John 14-15).