Don't get tired of asking for forgiveness

“Don't forget this, the Lord never gets tired of forgiving, it is we that get tired of asking forgiveness... Have you thought about how much patience he has with you? Let's not forget that God never gets tired of forgiving so let's never get tired of asking for forgiveness”  -- Pope Francis 
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God's forgiveness is something that I've been reflecting on a lot lately, partially because I've been talking to a few people that have been struggling to grasp it, and partially because it just makes me smile.

We tend to try and fit God into the limitations of human beings because it's easier for us to understand things when they're relative to something familiar. We know what it's like to forgive a little sibling for taking the last cookie, to let it go when your friends forget to invite you to a movie. We know it's possible, in time, for some  to forgive others for cheating on a husband or wife. We hear stories about a mother forgiving the man that killed her son in a drunk driving accident. While some of those are easier for us to relate to than others, they're all situations we're familiar with.

But God is not human, an no matter how hard we try, He can't fit in the confined space that we are limited to as humans. His forgiveness is so beyond what we can comprehend, and it's unlike anything we're familiar with or can compare it to completely. Many of us struggle with beginning to understand that forgiveness and love, so we try to reject it and tell ourselves we're not worthy, we're not good enough, we're too stupid or ugly or stubborn or some other things that would make us unloveable.

It's times like these where we have to stop trying so hard to understand why God loves us so much, and just accept the fact that He does. That's never going to change. No matter what. God loves us unconditionally because that's who God is. And you were made to be loved by God, and to love Him in return. Quit trying so hard to wrap your mind around the thought, accept that it's never going to fit it in the little box that defines human love, and just let yourself be enveloped in it. There's so much peace that comes from that, and knowing that He will always love you, and that will never change.

Does that mean that we can do whatever we want because God will love and forgive us anyway? No. We still have to try our best to not sin. That forgiveness is meant to be one within a loving, two-way relationship - not a one-way relationship where we use God for His forgiveness and do nothing in return. It's like when parents trust their kids to go out with their friends for the first time - they hope that because they love and trust their child, the child will do the right thing and do what they tell him/her to do. The child might be a rebellious teenager, refuse to listen, break the rules, etc. but the parents will still love them anyway, and eventually, the kid will grow up, mature, and realize that their parents only want the best for them. That's the relationship with God that we should strive for - understanding that His commandments are coming from a loving God that only wants the best for us, and we follow them because we know He knows best, and love Him for loving us.

Like Pope Francis said, God never gets tired of forgiving us - but sometimes we get tired of asking for forgiveness because we feel like we're not worthy. But guess what - you are a son or daughter of God. You are worthy of being loved unconditionally. Feel like you can't accept any of that? Spend some time doing a good examination of conscience. Make the best confession of your life. Learn from your mistakes, and let go of whatever is holding you back from accepting God's love and forgiveness. Make another mistake, or start to feel unworthy again? As for forgiveness. Go to confession. Learn, let go, repeat. Never stop asking for God's forgiveness, and He will never stop asking for it. But you have to keep letting that love in - face it. You are loved. And that's never going to change.