The Power In Forgiveness
A few years back I had a great opportunity to experience this lesson in it’s purest form. I had a friend that owned an upscale consignment store. My husband and I were Prayer Pastors at a church during this time. Due to the economic stress in my friend’s life, she had to put her store up for sale. A lady from our church bought the store. During their business transaction something occurred that upset the lady buying the store, and she became very angry at my friend.
During that same span of time I noticed that this same lady began to act differently toward me also. I did not know her well, but we always had a cordial relationship. She stopped speaking to me. When I would see her she would look the other way. I kept thinking that with time she would return to her normal self.
Months began to pass. She remained the same. I would visit her store and when she saw me come in she would leave the floor and her employees would wait on me. I began to pray over the situation in general. I didn’t understand her attitude. I knew that she had a problem with my friend, but she and I had never had any difficulties as we barely knew each other.
One day a woman from my church that was very close to this lady called me. She told me that the lady was causing great harm to me in the spirit by the things she was saying about me. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” Proverbs 18:21 Thus I went before the Lord asking Him to explain this to me. The Lord spoke clearly to me and said, “guilt by association.” (the spirit of friendship) I said.” Lord, what must I do to bring peace and restoration to this broken fellowship.” He reminded me of Matt. 25:3-4 “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”
So I began my pursuit of reconciliation. I tried many times to speak with her but she would not talk to me. I sought the Lord again, and He gave me a specific plan. He told me to go to her store before it opened, and to wait for her to arrive when she would be alone. So I did just as the Lord instructed me. I drove to her store early one morning and parked my car in an inconspicuous place and waited. It wasn’t but a few minutes until she arrived. Her store was in a strip mall and she was walking up to the door with keys in hand. I quickly walked up to her and said, “May I speak with you for just a moment?” When she saw me she said “NO! Please go away and leave me alone.” I said, “It won’t take me but just a minute.” Again she emphatically said, “NO,” as her keys were going into the door. Fearing that she would get inside and I would miss my opportunity to obey the Lord, I immediately fell to my knees on the sidewalk outside the store, between her and the door. I said, “I ask you to forgive me for whatever I have done to hurt you.” She said, “What are you doing, get up, get up!” I persevered, “Do you forgive me?” She said, “Yes, yes, yes, just get up!” I said, “I thank you for forgiving me and I love you very much.” As I stood up she rushed into the store as I slowly walked back to my car with tears pouring down my face.
A few weeks past and the Lord began to deal with me again to go back into her store. So one day I slowly walked in and just browsed a bit. She saw me, spoke to me and helped me with a purchase. The Lord kept leading me to go back to her store again and again. Slowly she begin to soften. Through the next year she became very friendly and we talked many times. One day I received a call that her 18 year old son had been killed in an auto accident. He was her and her husband’s life. This was a very special opportunity for me to then be able to give myself to her without measure since I had obeyed the Lord in the beginning. A year later she had a gall bladder attack and during the operation her liver was cut and she almost died. She suffered for a long while and had to undergo another operation to restore her injured liver. Many days through all her trials I would stop by her store and pray with her as the Lord would allow me to minister to her in such a precious way.
Besides the Blood, Forgiveness is one of the most powerful weapons we possess against the enemy. We are using the same weapon that Christ used against the enemy on the cross…Forgiveness. “Then Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34a We must forgive to be forgiven. There isn’t one without the other. Forgiveness is the key that opens the door to some of the greatest blessings that the Kingdom of God has to offer.