Daily Devotional for July 20, 2012

Luke 17:3-4
"Be alert. If you see your friend going wrong, correct him. If he responds, forgive him. Even if it's personal against you and repeated seven times through the day, and seven times he says, 'I'm sorry, I won't do it again,' forgive him."

Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.

Once again, our country is deep in the throes of a horrific tragedy, as we learn more details about the senseless shooting that took place in a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, early this morning. We are heartsick for the victims and their families. We shake our heads and ask, “What sort of derelict could do this?” And therein lies part of the answer… this had to be the work of someone who was not of sound mind.

Certainly this person deserves to be punished for his crimes. Surely he must be kept away from society, so that no one else is harmed. But we must also remind ourselves that he has a mom and a dad… maybe siblings, other family members, and friends. He could be your brother… or my son… or a beloved cousin, significant other, or roommate. He is most assuredly a precious child of God. And as such, we must find it in our hearts to forgive him.

We do not diminish what this young man has done… we do not excuse his behavior in any way… we merely release any feelings of hate or unkindness we have toward him and allow God to heal our hearts. As the Aurora, Colorado, police chief said in a press conference, we will all get through this.

I pray that none of us ever has to personally experience anything as dreadful as the events of today. But all of us will be offended, insulted, mistreated or hurt in some way – most likely many times in our lives. How will we handle this? Will we become angry and sullen, hold a grudge and let the bitterness eat us alive? Will we give Satan this satisfaction? Or will we operate in the love of Christ and forgive not only those who ask us to do so… but also those who don’t?

We weren’t there when Jesus died on the cross, but He did it anyway… and asked God to forgive us. We may have asked His forgiveness since that time… and we should… but Jesus offered us love and compassion long beforehand. And we should do the same for others.

Everywhere we turn, people are saying, “Pray for the people of Colorado.” I would offer that we should also pray for the shooter… his family and friends… and anyone who has wronged us in any way – whether he/she has asked for our forgiveness or not. If we want Jesus to forgive us and love us unconditionally, we must be prepared to do no less than this for others. Who do you need to forgive today?

©2012 Debbie Robus