on the way home

When people hurt me, I want to turn away. Who doesn’t? Most of us don’t WANT to stay in a situation where we’ve been hurt. And when we bump into people who’ve hurt us before, we’re not exactly delighted to see them.

🔆But what if something else is at work? It’s hard to think about, but sometimes painful experiences are also transformational. What if there’s actually a plan bigger than we realize?

We can see a little of this when Paul pleads with his friends in Philemon to restore a broken relationship with Onesimus. Paul's complete focus is on his desire for them to overlook any wrongdoing, look at Onesimus through new eyes, and take him back into the fold.

They could have held their ground and said no; Paul wasn’t forcing them to take Onesimus back. Paul simply hoped his friends would experience true joy in the transforming power of God’s sovereignty as they willingly accepted Onesimus. Not by compulsion, but willingly.

Paul wanted them to see the beauty of God working, the beauty of God threading pieces of life together. He wanted them to see God’s sovereignty at play in their own lives.

🔆When we’re faced with people that hurt us or rub us the wrong way, we also have a choice. We can choose to hold things against people or we can choose to overlook a wrong. None of us share the same story, so it’s hard to walk in each other’s shoes.

I'm certain of this though, forgiveness can lead us home. We can forgive and be with them, or we can forgive and not be with them. I’m certain God’s sovereignty continues either way we choose, because forgiveness isn’t boxed in. God is so much bigger than that. But when we choose forgiveness, God’s grace will surely lead the way.