My husband was a very successful businessman and always wanted to mentor others, showing them the steps to success. He was a true giver. But we all know people who tend to overstep the boundaries, taking someone’s kindness and using it for their own gain. My husband had one such particular colleague. He started treating my husband terribly, stealing and poisoning my husband’s clients against him. At one point, after a business dispute, he even threatened our family’s lives. For a time, we lived in fear. I developed such a hatred toward this man that I found myself wishing him dead. But God led me to Matthew 6:14-15. He said that I had to forgive my enemies. What?! How could I forgive a man that has taken advantage of my husband and threatened my family? He doesn’t deserve my forgiveness, and he’s never apologized to me. So why should I show him any mercy? Then God reminded me, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy.” Who was I to judge? Despite my stubbornness, I begged God to make me willing. So, every time I thought of this man, I mumbled, “I hate him, God. But forgive me and bless him.” I did this everyday regardless of how I felt about him. Eight months later, I was driving down the road, and felt something overwhelm me to tears. It was God filling me with love and forgiveness for this man. You cannot give what you have not received. Yet, we’ve all received forgiveness from our Heavenly Father. Is it not our duty to forgive others as He has forgiven us? It’s easy to love our neighbor and hate our enemies, but God tells us to love and pray for our enemies. Shortly after I forgave this man, he was diagnosed with cancer. On his deathbed, not only did we reconcile, but He also gave his heart to Christ. If we don’t have love, we are nothing. Love keeps no record of wrongs. I often share how God opened my eyes to true forgiveness and I encourage others to pray, “Make me willing.” God hears that prayer, and only He can turn the deepest, darkest hatred into the purest love.
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2 Comments
Mrs Betty Umoren
December 22, 2020 at 1:05 pmThank you for showing the true love of Christ. We all battle like you did to forgive others, but it takes the grace of God and accepting that grace to move forward and actually do what God requires us to do. You have encouraged my heart today, that God’s grace has the power to change our thinking into His thinking. Your ‘enemy’ gave His life to Jesus and now he’s your brother! Wonderful!
Ume Leonard
December 22, 2020 at 4:24 pmThank you Sister for sharing that practical story. I was highly encouraged by that testimony. The truth is that there is a wide world of difference between reading the Bible and practising the instructions given thereof. This second leg of communion with the Lord (practising the word) is the bane of my Christians. Many after several struggles usually give up and go about with the opinion that such instructions are not meant to be obeyed like. They quickly look for a Bible verse they will quote out of context to justify their inability to obey God’s word. Like in your own story such verse as “Suffer not a witch to live” (Exodus 22:19) but thank God for the approach you took in other to obey. The truth is that no one naturally can obey God in its entirety. That is why He made Grace available to us. Like in your story when you turned to Him for help, you did not pretend about anything as the Lord saw your sincerity that you are unable to this on your own though you are willing, He then released the Grace to you, So the lesson to grab from this is be sincere in your walk with God, tell Him how it is with you. The greatest truth is that a Christian is that person who has yielded his body for Jesus to live.