Living in Increase (Part 10) - Increase in AwarenessSample

Week 2: Awareness of the World

Be Aware of the Power of Forgiveness

On November 14, 1960, Ruby Nell Bridges became the first African-American child to attend the all-white William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, Louisiana. She appeared so small, walking in the shadow of the four U.S. Marshals assigned to protect her. That first day, she exited the car and walked toward the school. An angry mob met her. As she walked through the crowd and up the steps to the school entrance, she endured adults screaming at her and crying out in despair. They called her horrible names, hurled objects in her direction, and even threatened to kill her. This brave little girl would repeat this scenario daily for a whole year. She was resilient and had courage beyond all human understanding.

One morning, Ruby did something unexpected. She stopped on the steps of the school and faced the crowd. She appeared to have something to say and was undeterred. Even the Marshals could not stand in her way. Her lips were moving, but the noise and confusion at that moment made it impossible to hear her words. When Ruby got to her class, Mrs. Henry asked her what she said to the people. Ruby insisted that she was not talking to them. “I wasn’t talking. I was praying!” Ruby explained that she prayed every day on her way to school. Her prayer was always the same:

Please, God, try to forgive those people. Because even if they say those bad things, they don’t know what they are doing. So You could forgive them, just like You did those folks a long time ago when they said terrible things about You.

Little six-year-old Ruby recognized that this battle was much bigger than her. It was not something she could handle without God’s help. She could see through her circumstances and recognize that those attacking her needed God’s love and forgiveness.

Ephesians 6:12 tells us that our fight is not with people. Instead, our battle is often spiritual. Little Ruby could see past the people’s angry faces and the terrible words to recognize that they were not her enemy. Racism and hatred were the enemy. Had Ruby allowed herself to focus on the people’s actions, she would have been offended and become bitter. Instead, she could extend the same love to those she had received from her Savior.

Eventually, students returned to the school. By the time Ruby was in second grade, the angry mobs had given up, and segregation was on its way to being fully defeated. Ruby continued going to the Frantz School until she graduated. God continues to use Ruby today. She has dedicated her life to continuing the fight against racism and helping underprivileged communities.

Julie Austin

Action Step: Pray for the person who has offended you. Look past the circumstances of your offense and consider the spiritual needs of that person: Do they need to be forgiven? Do they need to be loved? Ask God to give you discernment so that you can be aware of the spiritual battle that is taking place. Ask Him to equip you with the courage and compassion to overcome the offense. Forgiving others is sometimes difficult and may not make sense, but it is necessary.