Off the Hook

Woman: My sister won’t admit she’s done anything. Can I forgive her if she hasn't asked for forgiveness?

Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth: What keeps you from forgiving?

Woman: Well, doesn’t it mean I’m letting her off the hook?

Nancy: When you forgive someone, what you're really doing is taking them off your hook and transferring them to God's hook. Forgiveness acknowledges that God is the judge, and vengeance belongs to Him.

The life of Joseph illustrates this. His brothers sold him into slavery. Years later, when he became the second most powerful leader in Egypt, he had the ability to take vengeance. But he said, “Am I in the place of God?” He chose to trust God and forgive.

If there’s someone you refuse to forgive, it really means you’re putting yourself in the place of God. So why not take the offender off your hook and trust the ultimate Judge?

With Seeking Him, I’m Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth.