I pray that you may be active in sharing
your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we
have in Christ.
It has been said that the six
hardest words to say are: “I was wrong.
Please forgive me.”
Many find it difficult to say these
four words in return: “Yes, I forgive you.”
One of the lessons the little letter
of Philemon can teach us is the importance of practicing forgiveness.
I call it “practicing” because a
forgiving nature doesn’t come naturally.
We can be hurt by the wrongs
committed against us. We might suffer
loss. We might feel pain. We can be abandoned. Our reputation might take an unjust hit.
The person inflecting such damage
may finally come to their senses. With sincerity
of heart they approach you to seek reconciliation and forgiveness. They speak to you the six hardest words to
say. How do you respond?
Perhaps you very quickly review
“every good thing (you) have in Christ. You
remember the humiliation of Christ: His immaculate conception and humble birth;
His unjust suffering and His cruel death and burial. You think of the price your Savior God paid
so that you might receive forgiveness for the wrongs you’ve committed
against the Holy God. You remember the
grace of God in your own life. Then,
through the power of the Holy Spirit, you extend that grace to the person who
seeks forgiveness from you.
Reconciliation takes place between
you and a friend, just as it did between Philemon and Onesimus.
It doesn't take too long to read Paul's letter to Philemon. Check out how the
Apostle Paul teaches the practice of forgiveness to a dear friend. Perhaps you need a lesson as well? Read and let the forgiving love of your
Savior heal your hurts and give you strength to extend God’s grace to others.
