Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. (Luke 11:4)
Have you been wronged? I have. Thankfully, my father’s ofttimes poignant acts of forgiveness influenced me powerfully. I remember attending a legislative luncheon where my dad received a joint resolution from the legislature honoring his contribution to the telephone industry. I was very proud, but it was what I learned that day about the transforming power of forgiveness that touched me most.
A congressman, giving me an autographed book, shared privately how my father had changed his life. He had once been my father’s worst opponent, using all his power to defeat initiatives. There was no need to describe how public and brutal his attacks had been. I had read the news releases; I knew the stress he had caused.
Then he described emotionally how my father, learning of a personal crisis he was experiencing, was the first to graciously offer personal assistance. The congressman said he felt compelled to ask why he would show a genuine spirit of concern like that toward a declared enemy. The answer my dad gave led him to seek a personal relationship with my father’s God! Tearfully, I marveled at how extending forgiveness can result in eternal favor for both.
What a friend we have in Jesus who modeled and taught forgiveness. How thankful I am for people who show us how to live a better life without the weight and consequences of unforgiveness.
Extend forgiveness and bring about eternal favor for you and your enemy.
Sue Rickman, a retired public school principal and adjunct professor, is a wife, mother, and “Mimi” to two grands. She enjoys piano, reading, biking, and scrapbooking and serves on the General Board of The Wesleyan Church and World Hope International.
© 2022 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.