“Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; that’s why she loved much. But the one who is forgiven little, loves little.” —Luke 7:47
I have attended many funerals of people who were well-known for their professional accomplishments, their courageous stand on moral issues, or their remarkable public ministry. And I always find it touching to hear these “greats” remembered more for their personal, often unseen demonstrations of love and concern for others.
This character quality can show itself in countless ways, but nowhere does it radiate more beautifully through a person’s life than when it’s expressed through genuine forgiveness.
How many families and family histories and once-close relationships have been destroyed through years of unresolved anger, bitterness, deafening silence, and misunderstanding?
Oh, what scars can be left by betrayal and broken trust! But love can help heal those wounds, even years after they were inflicted. Forgiveness in the heart of an older person is among the most compelling modeling performances of all. A person who is sound in love will be familiar with the words, “I forgive you” and “I was wrong, will you forgive me?”
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Adorned: Living Out the Beauty of the Gospel Together
©2017 Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth
Scripture taken from The CSB
Make it Personal
How is genuine forgiveness a sign of love? How have you seen this truth demonstrated in your own life?