Forgive
Posted by Melissa
He said he had changed. This time it would be different. He had found Jesus, and he wasn’t the same person anymore. However, Jamie didn’t know if she could trust her father. All she could remember was the fighting, the drinking, and the abuse. Could she really forgive him?
Read Philemon 8-16. Camp out on verse 14.
What did Paul want Philemon to do?
How did Onesimus become Paul’s “son”?
Why would it have been difficult for Philemon to accept Onesimus again?
Why is it difficult to forgive someone who has betrayed you?
How can Christ’s love help you forgive that person? Explain.
Onesimus was Philemon’s runaway slave who had become a Christian through Paul’s help. Paul knew that Onesimus’ betrayal had hurt Philemon and forgiveness would be difficult. But Paul also knew Philemon’s character and believed that once he heard how Onesimus’ life had changed, Philemon would welcome him back because of his love for Christ. Forgiveness isn’t easy, but it is completely possible through Jesus’ love. When you remember how much you have been forgiven and what it cost Jesus, it should compel you to forgive others. When you forgive, it screams to the world, “I belong to Jesus!”
Posted in Devotions, Girls | Tagged Camp Crestridge, Philemon 8-16, Reprinted from ec magazine. © 2011 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission.