ONE MORE TIME by Larry Ollison, PhD

One More Time
By Larry Ollison, Ph.D.

Recently, I was talking with a man about forgiveness. He said that he had forgiven everyone in his life except one person. When I asked him who it was, he related a story about a family incident involving his brother that had taken place years ago.

When I asked why he couldn't forgive his brother, I got a strange answer. He said it was impossible for him to forgive his brother because his brother wouldn't forgive him.

Jesus said in Mark 11 that we were to forgive those who have wronged us. He didn't say that we were to forgive them if they forgive us. He said we were to forgive - if they love us or if they hate us, if they forgive us or don't forgive us. Even if they are holding a grudge and are doing everything in their power to destroy us, it doesn't matter. Whether or not they forgive us is irrelevant. Our responsibility is to forgive, unconditionally.

One woman told me she couldn't forgive a certain person because she had forgiven that person several times for the same offense. And even after all that forgiveness the other person continued to be offensive. She asked me how many times she should forgive this person. I told her "One more time." Any time you wonder how many times to forgive someone, that is the answer. Forgive them "one more time."

In Matthew 18:21 Peter went to Jesus and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered and said, "I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven." In today's words, that would be like saying "up to a million times." Forgiveness has no limits. Forgiveness has no end.

The reason for forgiveness is not for the one being forgiven, but for the one who forgives. The one who forgives reaps all the benefits. What are the benefits of forgiveness? There are many, but one that we all need is peace. Forgiveness will give you peace.

Over the years I have met many people who will not forgive. They all have one thing in common. They are never at peace. When we are obedient to the Word of God, we will be at peace. The peace of God is beyond anything the world can give. Philippians 4:7 says, "and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

If we are not obedient to the Word of God and refuse to forgive, the only peace we will have is what we can glean from the world, and that's a poor substitute for the real thing.

Forgiveness will allow you to forget the pain of the past. In Jeremiah 31:34, the Bible says that God not only has the ability to forgive but also has the ability to forget. We, however; cannot forget the past, but through forgiveness we will forget the pain of the past. That's true peace - when you can remember, but there is no hurt or resentment. Try as you might, without forgiveness, it can't be done.

Daniel 9:9 says mercy and forgiveness belong to the Lord. God is a God of mercy and forgiveness. As Christians we are to mirror the character of God. We are to show mercy and we are to forgive.

So, when you become offended because someone has wronged you and wonder if you should forgive again, do this. Forgive, one more time.

Larry Ollison Ministries
All rights reserved. Used by permission.

THE WOODCUTTER'S WISDOM by Max Lucado

Once there was an old man who lived in a tiny village. Although poor, he was envied by all, for he owned a beautiful white horse. Even the king coveted his treasure. A horse like this had never been seen before—such was its splendor, its majesty, its strength.
People offered fabulous prices for the steed, but the old man always refused. “This horse is not a horse to me,” he would tell them. “It is a person. How could you sell a person? He is a friend, not a possession. How could you sell a friend?” The man was poor and the temptation was great. But he never sold the horse.
One morning he found that the horse was not in the stable. All the village came to see him. “You old fool,” they scoffed, “we told you that someone would steal your horse. We warned you that you would be robbed. You are so poor. How could you ever hope to protect such a valuable animal? It would have been better to have sold him. You could have gotten whatever price you wanted. No amount would have been too high. Now the horse is gone, and you’ve been cursed with misfortune.”
The old man responded, “Don’t speak too quickly. Say only that the horse is not in the stable. That is all we know; the rest is judgment. If I’ve been cursed or not, how can you know? How can you judge?”
The people contested, “Don’t make us out to be fools! We may not be philosophers, but great philosophy is not needed. The simple fact that your horse is gone is a curse.”
The old man spoke again. “All I know is that the stable is empty, and the horse is gone. The rest I don’t know. Whether it be a curse or a blessing, I can’t say. All we can see is a fragment. Who can say what will come next?”
The people of the village laughed. They thought that the man was crazy. They had always thought he was a fool; if he wasn’t, he would have sold the horse and lived off the money. But instead, he was a poor woodcutter, an old man still cutting firewood and dragging it out of the forest and selling it. He lived hand to mouth in the misery of poverty. Now he had proven that he was, indeed, a fool.
After fifteen days, the horse returned. He hadn’t been stolen; he had run away into the forest. Not only had he returned, he had brought a dozen wild horses with him. Once again the village people gathered around the woodcutter and spoke. “Old man, you were right and we were wrong. What we thought was a curse was a blessing. Please forgive us.”
The man responded, “Once again, you go too far. Say only that the horse is back. State only that a dozen horses returned with him, but don’t judge. How do you know if this is a blessing or not? You see only a fragment. Unless you know the whole story, how can you judge? You read only one page of a book. Can you judge the whole book? You read only one word of a phrase. Can you understand the entire phrase?
“Life is so vast, yet you judge all of life with one page or one word. All you have is a fragment! Don’t say that this is a blessing. No one knows. I am content with what I know. I am not perturbed by what I don’t.”
“Maybe the old man is right,” they said to one another. So they said little. But down deep, they knew he was wrong. They knew it was a blessing. Twelve wild horses had returned with one horse. With a little bit of work, the animals could be broken and trained and sold for much money.
The old man had a son, an only son. The young man began to break the wild horses. After a few days, he fell from one of the horses and broke both legs. Once again the villagers gathered around the old man and cast their judgments.
“You were right,” they said. “You proved you were right. The dozen horses were not a blessing. They were a curse. Your only son has broken his legs, and now in your old age you have no one to help you. Now you are poorer than ever.”
The old man spoke again. “You people are obsessed with judging. Don’t go so far. Say only that my son broke his legs. Who knows if it is a blessing or a curse? No one knows. We only have a fragment. Life comes in fragments.”
It so happened that a few weeks later the country engaged in war against a neighboring country. All the young men of the village were required to join the army. Only the son of the old man was excluded, because he was injured. Once again the people gathered around the old man, crying and screaming because their sons had been taken. There was little chance that they would return. The enemy was strong, and the war would be a losing struggle. They would never see their sons again.
“You were right, old man,” they wept. “God knows you were right. This proves it. Your son’s accident was a blessing. His legs may be broken, but at least he is with you. Our sons are gone forever.”
The old man spoke again. “It is impossible to talk with you. You always draw conclusions. No one knows. Say only this: Your sons had to go to war, and mine did not. No one knows if it is a blessing or a curse. No one is wise enough to know. Only God knows.”
The old man was right. We only have a fragment. Life’s mishaps and horrors are only a page out of a grand book. We must be slow about drawing conclusions. We must reserve judgment on life’s storms until we know the whole story.
I don’t know where the woodcutter learned his patience. Perhaps from another woodcutter in Galilee. For it was the Carpenter who said it best:
“Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.” (Matthew 6:34)
He should know. He is the Author of our story. And he has already written the final chapter.