We often pray to God and ask for his forgiveness. We need his forgiveness so much because without it we are out of fellowship with him. Jesus said; But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:15. Not forgiving our brothers and sisters is equal to walking in darkness.
He who hates brother is in darkness, and walks in darkness.He is like a blind man. 1 John 2:9-11. Such a person is merely doing religion; he is not having fellowship with God.
Tom Huffy told a story in his devotional titled TIME ALONE WITH GOD. It was about two very close brothers who did and owned joint business in a store. The business flourished in the community. One of the brothers placed a Dollar on the counter but while he turned around the dollar had vanished out of sight. He asked his brother if he had taken the money. The other brother denied taking the money. A hot argument developed. Neighbours got involved and they took sides. Eventually the joint business ended and the store was partitioned. Competition for business started between the two brothers. This continued for twenty years until light was shed on the darkness of their lives. A big car pulled up in front of the store and a wealthy man got out. He walked into the store and asked to speak to both brothers. Unaware of what happened to the brother’s partnership, the man confessed to stealing the dollar as a little boy.
Twenty years of bitterness with wasted opportunities of better business. Those neighbours who wrongly took sides in an unnecessary quarrel are also to be blamed, but the two brothers made the loophole.
Dear friends, please give your brother, sister, spouse or neighbours the benefit of a doubt in questionable cases. Do not draw the line of break or partition too soon. How would you feel to be wrongly accused? Seek peace and pursue it. And furthermore; Follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the LORD.
For the Christian, forgiveness is not a matter of choice, but a command. Let us walk in love; forgiving one another. Those two brothers did not betray trust at the beginning, but they failed in the day of trouble. Wrong or false accusations are not tenable. Bringing in third parties into a dispute should be carefully and sparingly done. What is 1 dollar? What is brotherly kindness and love? What is mutual trust? Where was second chance? What about the benefits of a necessary doubt; and that for your business partner or spouse?
Grace be with you all.
25 Feb
AgapeFocus 