Unimaginable horror. Violent crime. A painful and lifelong reminder of a heinous encounter with evil. These are the tenants of Vicky’s story. Her friend, Joni Eareckson Tada, shared the details with us tonight from stage.
In the wake of a broken marriage, Vicky went to a warehouse looking for a job. Instead, she found a man with a plan to do her great harm. As part of an attempted rape, Vicky was shot and dumped off at the hospital. Her injuries left her a quadriplegic.
This is the story that Joni used to paint the background for the subject of forgiveness. The sins committed against Vicky are incomprehensible. I found myself wanting to drop my eyes to the floor as Joni was telling us about her to deflect the injustice she endured away from my heart. And yet, Joni reported that Vicky has totally and wholeheartedly forgiven her attacker. She is not pining for justice by the system. She is not bitter that it does not come. She doesn’t keep pointing the finger. She does not replay the tapes of that encounter over and over in her mind, imagining that he was the one who was hurt. In fact, she prays for the soul of her assailant.
How can that be possible?
Joni showed us the answer from the story of Uriah. Remember that King David slept with Uriah’s wife and ordered Uriah’s death in the cover-up. Joni asked us to consider the response of Uriah’s father, who most certainly battled down emotions like bitterness, anger, and unforgiveness.
“If you were the father of Uriah the Hittite, you’d be thinking, ‘Hold on here. Let me get this straight. This man sleeps with my daughter-in-law, murders my son, and he says, “I have sinned,” and that’s it?’" Joni said. “Where is the justice in that?! God is letting him off the hook.”
But God didn’t let David off the hook for the murder of Uriah. God put himself on the hook. He personally saw to it that justice was served, because centuries later Jesus Christ died for the murder of Uriah.”
Now that makes my eyes drop, my knees shake, my palms sweat.
In the face Christ’s forgiveness and His unfathomable justice carried out on the cross, how dare I white knuckle the offenses committed against me? How dare I work to pin to the ground by withholding my forgiveness?
Joni said it this way, “Are there sins that have been committed against you? Sins about which you feel resentful, indignant, maybe even bitter? Think about this: No one ever offended you more than you’ve offended Jesus. No one has ever harmed or abused or wounded you worse that your abuse of Christ. The apple of God’s eye turned brown with the rot of your sin.”
How could Vicky forgive a man who planned to rape her, shot her, and left her in a wheelchair? She recognized that forgiveness was the only reasonable response from someone who has been forgiven of so much by a loving Savior.
In an email to the True Woman attendees, Vicky encouraged us to take these steps when offended.
1. Release the offense.
2. Forgive the person.
3. Forget it. Forget it. Forget it.
4. Then love the person. Love/pray them into the kingdom.
5. Go on with living.
That’s not an easy list, but Vicky knows it’s a possible one. Wherever you sit reading this, you can look at that list and choose one of two responses. Will you drop your eyes and avoid the Truth that you are called to forgive all offenses because you have been forgiven? Or will you look at it head on and dare to ask, “Who am I trying to keep on the hook with my unforgiveness?” Then take them off because of the God who hung willingly for you.
Leave a Comment:
We love hearing from you, and will post your comment as long as it is appropriate, and is written in a tone that is encouraging, edifying, and loving to others. Even then, know that the following comments do not necessarily reflect the views of Revive Our Hearts.
Comments
Fast forward a couple of years.
I was leading some women through the "Seeking Him" workbook. We came to the chapter on forgiveness.
I knew I needed to forgive the man who sexually abused my daughter.
I realized that in myself I was unable to forgive and that God would supply the grace to forgive.
I got down on my knees and held my out my hands palms up and prayed. I realized I had two choices. In one hand I could choose my way and hold on to the rage, in the other I could choose God’s way and receive the grace I needed to forgive. I told God I was willing to receive the grace I needed to forgive. I found release at that moment
My daughter also had forgiven him through Christ. She went to him as he lay dying from cancer and confronted him. She told him she forgave him and asked him if he had made his peace with God.
God is faithful.
"His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire"
on Saturday, September 22, 2012 at 12:22 pm
on Saturday, September 22, 2012 at 9:31 pm
Thank you for delivering this message, Joni. It was a real privledge to see you in person! I love God and I love you!
on Saturday, September 22, 2012 at 11:13 pm
on Sunday, September 23, 2012 at 5:47 pm
You are in my prayers.
In Christian Love,
Berta
on Sunday, September 23, 2012 at 6:22 pm
on Monday, September 24, 2012 at 6:57 pm
“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool.
Isaiah 1:18
on Monday, September 24, 2012 at 7:28 pm
We are so blessed to hear how the Lord worked in your heart at True Woman ’12. You can reach Joni by emailing her at joniandfriends.org.
Serving Him,
Lorree
on Wednesday, September 26, 2012 at 8:44 am