As he approached his brother, he bowed to the ground seven times before him. Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept. – Genesis 33: 3-4

In the book of Genesis, we learn that Isaac had two sons: Esau and Jacob.

They were twins, and Esau was the firstborn which meant he was entitled to a birthright.

But Jacob was a master trickster and tricked Esau out of his birthright and stole his final irrevocable blessing from Isaac.

Needless to say, Esau was mad.

And Jacob had to flee because Esau made plans to kill him.

After about 20 years of being separated, Jacob decided to go back to the land where his brother lived. Out of fear, Jacob sent tons of gifts and sweet words to Esau through a messenger, hoping Esau would let bygones be bygones.

However, when the messenger returned to Jacob, he told him that Esau was coming for him with an army of 400 men!

I’m not sure if Esau was planning to attack Jacob and then changed his mind once he saw Jacob’s remorse. Or if he was never actually planning to attack Jacob at all.

But Esau never attacked Jacob.

Instead, he greeted his brother with kisses and he wept.

Their reconciliation showcased Esau’s depth of spirit and character, and both brothers were made better because they chose to give each other closure and peace.

It’s just a shame that there are people who go 20, 30, or even 40 years without speaking to their relatives.

And if they do happen to reunite, they continue to bicker and fight like children.

They probably can’t even tell you why they fell out in the first place.

What they don’t realize is that when they pass on, they will have to explain to God why they treated one another with such contempt.

Forgiveness is one of the most powerful things that Jesus ever taught us. But sometimes it’s the most challenging thing we’re asked to do.

What we must understand is that we’re no better than the person who wronged us.

The perpetrator and the victim are equally sinful in nature. We ALL make mistakes. Huge ones.

But God loves us all. So who are we not to forgive?

Seeing the beauty and humanity in others and forgiving them is always a win-win situation.

So I challenge you today: If there’s someone in your life who has offended you or hurt you (and you have no reason to believe they will jeopardize your safety in any way), reach out to them and give them a cheerful greeting! Give them the peace of knowing that you love them.

And pray for them.

That’s what God wants us to do.

Be blessed,

Alexia