A DESPONDENT woman remained after a church service to talk with her pastor. For years I have been unable to pray, she began. A woman came between me and my husband, and I cannot forgive her. Can you help me? The minister answered kindly, You cannot forgive the woman for her own sake, but couldnt you forgive her for Christs sake? At first the question did not register with the woman, but the light broke through as she thought about how much Christ had forgiven her. Youre right, she said. I cant forgive her for her own sake, but I can for His sake—and I will! To forgive someone who hurts us is difficult. The offending person does not deserve forgiveness. If we focus on the injustice, forgiveness will not come. We must look beyond the offending person to the Savior and the work He has done on our behalf. He will dissolve our hatred if we will forgive for His sake. When treated unfairly, we say, That person doesnt deserve my pardon. But when we consider what it cost God to forgive us, we sense how undeserving we are. Then we begin to see the possibility of doing it for Jesus sake. When we are willing to say, I will, Gods Spirit works in us and through us to do what we cannot do for ourselves.—D J DeHaan
Posted on: Wed, 05 Nov 2014 14:03:07 +0000
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