“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
Matthew 6:14-15 (NIV)
As a youngster, I once accompanied my father to a speaking engagement. That meeting was attended by a few who were in direct opposition to everything my father presented. Facts didn’t matter to them. Upon its completion, one of the attendees offered to take us home. My father accepted.
As I sat at the back of the car, I heard my father discussing the game of cricket with someone I considered his enemy. They chatted as if they were best friends. To my surprise, not once did they mention their differences. I must admit I could not understand how my father could be so calm and have such love for someone who openly opposed him on almost all the critical issues. For sure, I was upset.
Upon reaching home, I asked my dad how he could have treated that man as if he was his friend. To my surprise, my dad responded, “There may be a day when that man will need clarification and help. I want to be the person he reaches out to.”
I have witnessed scores of people of differing views who became friends with my father because at some point a gap was bridged, a relational connection was built.
Today if your spouse, your child, a parent, one of your family members received devastating news and they stand in desperate need of help, to whom would they turn? Don’t assume they would always call their best friend, teacher, or colleague. Those friends may not have the foundation and support to bridge the gap – you may. Ensure there’s a place for forgiveness. Ensure someone can always reach out to you.
Read: Genesis 50:15-21
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 37:21-31; Luke 6:12-36; Numbers 21:4-35; Numbers 22:1-20
