Stop Being Petty

Introduction

Pettiness is popular. Forgiveness, is seemed as [wack]. Let’s be honest here, there are a number of things in pop culture and society that perpetuate the unwillingness to forgive. There are enough petty betty’s, petty Pendergrass, petty riley, tom petty’s, and Petty Kruger’s. The culture of Pettiness has persuaded people that relationships no longer need to be mended. People lose friends, who often times are unfortunately unbelievers never to try to restore the relationship. You may be the only person that the individual has that can share Jesus with them. Think about the times people have forgiven you? Think about what God has forgiven you, just to turn around and look at your brother or sister or friend and be petty.

Why is being petty so popular?

How many relationships do you believe could have been mended if the spirit of pettiness would not have taken over?

The word forgive means to wipe out an offense from memory. It can only be truly effected by the victim. People can ask for your forgiveness, people can beg for your forgiveness but if the offense still puts conditions on the relationship no restoration has happened.

Divine forgiveness, forgiveness from God should compel us to forgive one another. “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Forgiveness is initially an act of God. Since God is holy only God can forgive sin, who can forgive sins but God alone.

The attitude of Forgiveness was prevalent with the King prior to acting on it.

Verse 23 states, “king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves”

It is interesting that we try to restore relationships when the power in the relationship does not rest in your hands.

Verse 26 So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him saying, Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.

No Room for Pettiness

The petty move was being forgiven of a crazy debt, just to attempt to be divisive by going in on a brother that only owed him a few bucks.

Is your salvation worth refusal to forgive someone over a minor issue.

We want people to do for us what we are not willing to do with them.

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

Free people from guilt and its consequences including punishment.

Refusal to forgive is petty! Who can you forgive, what relationship can you restore?

Here’s where the problem lies. We have a problem with forgiveness because we cannot seem to handle issues properly. Beginning at verse 15, when people sin or do us wrong handle it privately. We become petty when we add people to the mending that were not there for the breaking.

Forgiveness is deeper than the act, it is remission of punishment and cancelling all debts just like the king in this parable.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.