I Remember

article by PAUL LIPE

I remember during the course of my ministry I had to council with individuals having difficulty coping with wrong doings they had experienced with associates that had taken advantage of them. Sometimes the hurt included financial loss but in almost every case the victim was experiencing emotional pain. This pain was sometimes robbing sleep from the individual seeking counsel.

The best I could come up with was to ask my friend “to let it go.“ The wrong he was suffering was causing him more pain while, at the same time, his adversary was not bothered at all. There may be much better advice, but recently I found myself being helped by following that action.

An individual in whom I had placed considerable confidence took advantage of our relationship. There was financial loss, but the greater pain was in the betrayal. For several days I was plagued by thoughts of what had happened. Then, the advice I had given others came to mind. Thoughts of how much God had forgiven me over the years was the strongest medicine. Now I’m back to living a life which is not plagued by negative thoughts that upset my day. My hope is, that my adversary has also found peace. However, I could be satisfied with a little discomfort on his part! Even preachers can hope for some misery in their foes.

The benefit from my ordeal has been that my appreciation for God‘s mercy and pardon can grow when I have violated one of his commands.

My recommendation to readers, especially those who profess faith in Jesus Christ, is that they follow the above advice. Jesus taught us that we should forgive others as he has forgiven us. If we treat others as Jesus treats us, we won’t have many occasions that will cause us loss of sleep. By having a forgiving spirit, we grow into stronger individuals and this is what Jesus desires for us. 

How much better our society would be if we practiced the behavior that Jesus models for us. Let us live by his grace and for his glory.