1 Peter 4:8 [NLT] ‘Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.’
DAILY READING: Acts 1; Deuteronomy 11-12; Job 9
On May 13th, 1981, as Pope John Paul II crossed St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican City, he was shot four times by an assassin. Two bullets struck the pope in the stomach, while one struck his right arm, and another his left index finger. In intense pain, the pope was bundled away by his security team, and despite severe blood loss, he survived the shooting.
The shots had been fired by Mehmet Ali Ağca—who had escaped from a Turkish prison where he was held on charges of murder. But despite his attempt to murder Pope John Paul II, the pope immediately, openly, and, in his own words, “sincerely” forgave the man.
In 1983, John Paul II even went so far as to visit his would-be assassin, engaging the man in a private conversation, befriending him, and staying in touch with his family. In 2000, the pope requested that Ağca be pardoned.
That request was granted and Ağca was released from his Italian prison, although he was still compelled to serve out the remainder of his sentence in the Turkish prison from where he had escaped.
After the pope’s visit, Ağca, deeply touched, converted to Christianity. Following John Paul II’s death in 2005, Ağca was released from prison in 2010. And in 2014, he returned to Rome to lay two dozen white roses at John Paul II’s tomb.
Mehmet Ali Ağca’s life was changed forever by the forgiveness shown to him. His heart, hardened by anger and condemnation, was softened by the touch of genuine forgiveness.
In Mathew 18:7 Jesus said, ‘For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes.’
Here, Jesus is telling us offending situations are inevitable. Though people may not shoot you with a gun, sometimes they do things that equally hurt. Those times when your heart gets broken, or you feel treated unfairly, can indeed be hurtful. Offences are part of the story of life. People will let us down, break their promises, and say things that hurt. But if we allow these offences to lodge in our hearts, they can keep us from God’s best. Rather than stay bitter and angry, we can insulate ourselves from the damage of offenses by releasing love instead. Indeed love can conquer all offences.
1 Peter 4:8 [NLT] says, ‘Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.’
Love can protect our hearts from the damaging effects of unforgiveness. We are to bless those who curse us and pray for those who spitefully use us. Romans 12:21 tells us not to be overcome by evil, but rather to overcome evil with good. The truth is that God has shown us the example of how to love. Despite the times we have sinned against Him, He has freely given us His grace, forgiving and covering all our failures and all our mistakes. No matter how many times we fail and mess up, God never gives up on us. He is patient and His love will never run out. And as we have freely received His love, so also are we to freely release to others. God blesses us so that we can spread the blessing.
1 John 4:11-12 says, ‘Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and His love is perfected in us.’
Especially as this year rounds up, it is a good time to look back at those who have offended us and forgive them. Don’t carry over anger and hurt into the new year. Every time we decide to forgive people, it is like covering that offense with a beautiful layer of love. And when we release love in the place of hurt, then we are sowing good seeds from which we will reap beautiful pearls of blessings.
PRAYER: Lord, please grant me the grace to forgive anyone who may have hurt or offended me in the past years. Help me to manifest Your love wherever I go, and shine Your light for all to see, in Jesus’ Name.
QUOTE:
Your attitude always determines your altitude in life. -WORDBITE 222