Failure is a common word. Not that we want it to be that way, but we all face more failure than we want to. The enthusiasm of youth is soon tempered by the reality of failure. If you're anything like me, failures litter the landscape of your life.

Our culture has even made failure a politically correct word. We speak of "moral failure" if people fall into sexual sin, and "marital failure" if people divorce. We speak of "power failure" when the lights go out, and "grade failure" when students can't pass into the next class. But there's another kind of failure. It's the failure to forgive. We could call it "forgiveness failure."

"Forgiveness failure" is so common that Jesus teaches us to pray about it: "Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors" (Matthew 6:12). Jesus hits both sides: our need to be forgiven and our need to forgive. When we learn to accept forgiveness from God and when we are able to forgive others, then we have the best life possible on earth. Forgiveness is a basic ingredient for a wholesome, happy life.

Jesus teaches this prayer to his followers so that they may be forgiven and be able to forgive. Remember that God forgives first. That's why we can forgive others. Forgiveness can make each day of this new year great for you and for the people who live and work with you.