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Apr 02, 2025 06:00am

The Power of Forgiveness

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The Carters and the Wakefields. Two families that had been feuding for more than 85 years. And it was time to put an end to it.

This was an episode of The Andy Griffith Show from 1960. A young couple comes to Andy to marry them, but their parents are enemies and won’t allow it. Andy is determined to bring an end to this feud—especially because they don’t even know what they are feuding about!

Sometimes, we find ourselves in a situation where, for one reason or another, we have an enemy. We’ve been wronged, betrayed, double-crossed, or hurt by someone. Or maybe we were the ones who offended them.

Feelings were hurt, words were said, and the friendship or relationship was forever changed.

What do you do? Whether you had grounds for what you said, whether you were right or not, is this the way it’s supposed to be?

For the world—yes. For a believer in Christ—no.

Read what Paul shared in Romans 12:

“Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, ‘I will take revenge; I will pay them back,’ says the Lord.
20 Instead, ‘If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.’
21 Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.”

Paul didn’t just come up with some crazy idea—he was quoting from Deuteronomy and Proverbs. He used the wisdom found in Scripture to determine his future steps and words.

I don’t know what situation you find yourself in, but if we are all being honest, we’ve either been there or we are there right now. There’s hurt and unforgiveness. Who knows? Maybe it can’t be repaired. But that’s not what Paul was pointing out. We cannot control how others will respond or what they will think or say. But we can control how we respond.

Is our response to our enemy in line with the Word of God?

I know what you’re thinking. But… grace is undeserved. God showed us grace when we were still in sin against Him by allowing the death of His Son on the cross to forgive us (Romans 5:8). How can we withhold grace from others when this has been extended to us?

Show grace.

Don’t let evil conquer you.

Reach out to them in the power of the Lord.

Want to know more about following Christ and what the Bible says? Go to follow.lifeword.org.