The "F" Word?

Born in 1856 as a slave on a tobacco farm in Virginia, Booker T. Washington came of age when being a black man in America meant limited opportunities and a hard life.  His mother was a cook in the home and his father was a white man from a nearby farm.  He went to school each day, but not as a student.  He carried the books for one of the Burroughs' daughter who attended school.  It was illegal in the South to educate a slave, so he was not able to study.  In 1865, the Emancipation Proclamation was read at his farm and he was freed from the shackles of slavery.  So he moved to West Virginia to live with his stepfather working at the salt mines.  However, he did not desire a life of manual labor, so at age sixteen he walked to Hampton Roads, Virginia with the hope of attending the now-named Hampton University.  Through perseverance, he was able to gain admittance and even returned later to become a teacher.  In 1881, he was named the first president of the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.  Such a position had only been available to whites before Washington took such a post.  He worked to bring civil rights to the freed slaves of the South, raising the objections of many whites.  He also urged blacks to work with whites to bring about social change, which alienated him from many blacks who felt he should be more outspoken and critical of whites.  He wrote 14 books and worked to educate the freed slaves to have a place in America.  But he often faced incredible opposition and anger from the very people he was trying to help and those with whom he sought to work.

Why did I mention all of this?  On Sunday, we talked about the "F" word - Forgiveness.  Forgiveness is a powerful word, but it also causes us to give up power in a situation once we forgive.  Booker T. Washington put it this way:  "I will not permit any man to narrow and degrade my soul by making me hate him."  He understood that people will mistreat us, but he also understood the fact that he alone controlled his reaction to mistreatment, persecution and hatred.  Return hatred for hatred only leads to corrupting of our souls which leaves lasting scars.

Who do you need to forgive?  What grudge or wrong are you holding on to?  After church, one of our members talked to me and said he wished he understood this fact several years ago because the person he was angry at is now dead.   Though he has forgiven the person, he has never been able to speak to that person's face and heart in seeking reconciliation.  Don't wait until it is too late.  Luke 23 reminds us that Jesus looked on those who were killing Him and said, "Father, forgive them for they don't know what they are doing."  Would you be willing to ask God to forgive those who have hurt you and allow yourself to forgive them?  If so, this Sip will find you experiencing a freedom which will allow you to truly love others and be passionate about following Jesus.