If you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”
Mark 11:25
Forgiveness is never easy, but it’s the vital first step toward healing. A woman once wrote to tell “Dear Abby” that her husband of two years had had an affair with a young widow, who then carried his child. The wife wanted to die; she also wanted to kill her husband and the widow. But she knew those weren’t the answers she needed. Instead she prayed to God, and the Lord gave her the strength to forgive both the husband and the widow.
The baby was born in the home of the husband and wife and raised as their own. He turned out to be their only child. In fifty years, wife and husband never discussed the incident again. “But,” the wife wrote, “I’ve read the love and gratitude in his eyes a thousand times.”
By praying for God’s help, this woman received peace, a loving marriage, and a child she otherwise wouldn’t have had. The next time anger and resentment rise up in your throat, get on your knees and ask the Lord for the healing work He wants to do in your heart. We believe He will hear and answer that prayer.
Questions for Today . . .
- Who in your life has been most difficult to forgive? Why?
- Is there someone you have never forgiven?
- How has God honored the times you’ve forgiven someone?
Prayer . . .
Dear Lord Jesus, forgiveness sometimes costs so much and hurts even more! But You forgave me—and now You ask me to forgive others. Teach me the healing power of forgiveness. Help me to bring this gift of love to my marriage again and again. Amen.
(Excerpted from Dr. James and Shirley Dobson’s book, Night Light for Couples. Used with permission.)
Continue to Day 2: The Cost of Bitterness
