A good friend told me a powerful story yesterday that began with him buying a low-mileage car loaded with options and tricked with style. He recalled the positive vibe he had slipping out of the dealer’s parking lot in his new ride with 400 horses running under the hood. Little did he know that the good vibe would end quickly.
His low-mileage prize was a LIE. He was a victim of the fraudulent “odometer roll-back swindle.” The dream car he had just purchased with such high expectations quickly began to choke and sputter.
Lies like this one paint a disturbing picture of deceit that, if not interrupted by our call to forgive the trespasser, leave us with a sticky residue.
You could call this sticky residue BRAIN FRAUD that makes it tough to forgive anyone. Tough to restart life with God’s Spirit pouring out of us. Tough to love others—even the odometer roll-back sniper.
There aren’t many things worse than being BETRAYED.
The more egregious the offense against us, the more temptation we will feel to act on our “right” to punish the offender and “make them pay.”
The good news is that Jesus knew all about betrayal. Even after receiving a kiss from his traitor, he addressed Judas as “friend” (Matthew 26:50).
Jesus teaches us that no matter how much it hurts; we can overcome betrayal. The power comes from our God and is called FORGIVENESS.
The solution is to have a heart overflowing with Christ’s abundant and thankful grace that splashes on everyone we encounter on life’s road, even the odometer bandit.
Adam and Eve fell for the BRAIN FRAUD lie and hid from God. Sound familiar?
I ask God to forgive me for not forgiving others quick enough and deep enough.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
What will you do the next time someone in your life sells you the equivalent of a used car with fake mileage?
“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:23-24
