Forgiveness also restores the standard in our lives. I remember one time when our kids were all teenagers. I became angry with Kathy in front
of them and then treated her disrespectfully. The next day I gathered the kids together in the front room and asked Kathy and each of the kids to forgive me. They all did, and we went on with our day. About a week later one of our boys came in the kitchen and started being sarcastic with Kathy. I walked in and told him that he didn’t have permission to talk to my wife like that.
He said,”You were rude to Mom the other day yourself!” I said, “Yes, but you forgave me. Forgiveness restores the standard.
When you forgave me, you gave away your right to act that same way because your forgiveness restored me back to the place of honor. I
repented. Repentance means, “to be restored to the pinnacle, the high place.”
He told his mother that he was sorry and she forgave him. If we don’t understand this principle, then the lowest point, the worst mistake, or the stupidest thing we have ever done in life becomes our high watermark. For instance, if we were immoral as a teenager and later on in life we have teenagers ourselves, we won’t have confidence to correct them for their poor sexual choices because we failed ourselves. Failures we have repented of are no longer the standard that we must bow to. When we asked God and those we have hurt to forgive us, we were set back up to the high place that God assigned to us. Otherwise, the worst day of our life becomes the highest place that we have the right to lead others to. The truth is that forgiveness restores the standard of holiness in us and through us.
Kris Vallotton
From the book “The Supernatural Ways Of Royalty”