A PLEDGE OF FORGIVENESS

Before Louis XII of France came to power, he had been thrown into prison and kept in chains.  Later when he became king, he was urged by others to seek revenge on those who imprisoned him.  But he refused and instead prepared a scroll listing the name of all those who had perpetrated crimes against him.  Next to each person's name he placed a cross in red ink.  When the guilty people heard about this, they fled in fear for their lives.  Then the king explained that that cross he had drawn beside each name was not a sign of punishment but a pledge of forgiveness extended for the sake of the crucified Savior, who upon His cross forgave His enemies and prayed for them.

 

Kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiveness don't come naturally; they are acquired supernaturally through the redeeming power of the Cross.  King Louis XII had been completely transformed.  Outwardly his clothes were upgraded from prison rages to palace robes, and inwardly his attitude toward his enemies changed from bitterness to blessing.  He was dressed for success.

-- Lenya Heitzig and Penny Pierce Rose in Pathway to God's Treasure: Ephesians

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