When They Hurt Someone You LoveSample

DAY TWO - "SOMEONE HAS TO PAY"

Once I was ministering on forgiveness in a church and a woman who came up afterwards told me that her son had been killed in the war in Afghanistan. In her pain she not only mourned the loss of her son, but she was so angry.

But she explained that as I preached that morning, she realized her anger was unforgiveness. In the aftermath of her son’s death, she was angry at the U.S. Army, the U.S. President, and Congress for agreeing to war, and she hated Afghanistan — its people, its rulers, and especially its army.

Imagine harboring unforgiveness against people you will never know or see -- entire armies, nations, and people groups! While I understand Gloria’s feelings, I’m so glad she realized her anger and unforgiveness were not hurting anyone but herself.

Thankfully, hearing the Word of God showed Gloria the way to freedom. She prayed the prayer of forgiveness at the end of a service, and now there was a light in her eyes that I can imagine had not been there in a while. She had been able to forgive, and now she was free.

When a loved one has been hurt, we’re very likely to think, “Someone has to pay!” We want judgment. We want those who have done the hurting to feel the same pain that they’ve caused, or worse.

But the truth is someone already has paid. Jesus paid for your sin and the sin of those who have hurt you and your loved ones. He who knew no sin was made to be sin for us. There’s no more payment for sin. It’s all done.

When we’re in covenant with Jesus, we don’t live in a kingdom of paybacks; we live in a kingdom of mercy and grace. It’s what we’ve all received.

If we require judgment of someone who has done wrong, then we’re changing the rules from mercy and grace back to judgment. Then we must live under the rule of judgment as well. We don’t want that.

James 2:13 says, "For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment." Mercy triumphs over judgment! Let that get down into your spirit so that you’ll never again think someone has to pay. Someone already did.