Daily Devotional for December 18, 2018
Let Bygones Be Bygones
“You know why Theo came to our school this year instead of going to the one he was at before?” Mark asked his mom. “He got kicked out of his old school for cheating!”
“How do you know that?” asked Mom.
“Caden told me. He knows because his cousin goes to that school. I wonder if we should tell Miss Warren that Theo’s a cheater.”
“I’m sure your teacher has been given all the information she needs about Theo,” Mom said. “You need to let bygones be bygones.”
“What does that mean?” asked Mark.
“It’s a saying that means you shouldn’t keep dragging up what happened in the past,” Mom explained. “Let it go.”
Mark frowned. “Well, I’m still going to be careful to keep Theo from seeing my paper when we have a test. I told the other kids to watch out for him too.”
“Mark, you shouldn’t be telling other kids about Theo’s past. You really don’t know anything about it, or if it’s even true. If it is, Theo was punished for what he did—and it’s none of your business anyway.”
A little later, Mark’s brother walked in. “Brad, can I take your telescope over to Trenton’s?” Mark asked.
“No!” Brad snapped. “You lost my tablet last month.”
“But I paid for it,” Mark reminded him. “And I learned my lesson about being careful.”
“Maybe so,” said Brad, “but you still can’t use my telescope.”
Brad walked out, and Mark sat down in a huff. “It’s not fair! Brad can’t hold that against me forever—especially after I said I was sorry and paid for it!”
“Well, isn’t that what you’re doing with Theo?” Mom asked. “If he did cheat, he paid for his mistake and needs a chance to make a clean start. Jesus tells us to forgive others the way He forgives us. He paid for our sins, so we have no right to hold other people’s sins against them. Forgiving someone doesn’t always mean we trust them right away, and I think Brad is still learning to trust you with his things. But you’re taking rumors about Theo as fact and making him pay for them—whether they’re true or not.”
Mark sighed. “You’re right. From now on, I’ll let bygones be bygones!” – Barbara J. Westberg
How about you?
Do you forgive sins like Jesus does? When someone hurts you or you hear about someone doing something wrong, it can be hard to forget. But you can stop defining that person by what they did. If someone’s wronged you, you can depend on Jesus to help you forgive that person and be open to trusting them again. Forgive the wrongs of others and let them go.
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