My pastor told a familiar story that I've heard him tell a few times, but at this stage in my spiritual maturity it really struck a chord with me. Then again, nobody may care, so I'm posting it here:
He was a newly saved young guy who had a literal, palpable encounter with God in his apartment (that's a powerful story, but a whole other story as well, lol). He was working near his apartment and the job site didn't have a restroom. One of his co-workers asked him if he could use the restroom at his apartment. He brought him home and allowed him to use the restroom. At the end of the work day, he came home and went to wash his face, and reached for his towel, still neatly folded next to the sink. As he dried his face he noticed (this is the understatement of the year, btw) that his co-worker had apparently wiped himself with the towel, and folded it back on the rack so that what he had done wasn't visible.
My pastor was a young, big guy in his twenties, but the change that took place when he got saved was so evident that his roomate knew he would not retaliate. He said his roomate cried when he saw what had happened and begged him to allow him to go handle this guy. My pastor told him that if he gave him permission to hurt the guy, it would be just as bad as if he had done it himself.
The guy was scared and trembling the next day when he calmly asked him about why he would do such a thing, and he never got an explanation. He forgave the guy and never treated him any differently. I've failed some tests in my day, and just thinking about that situation, I know for a fact I would've failed as a brand new christian and can't guarantee that right now, twelve years in, that I would be able to pass that one. Good grief. If there's a place in the Lord where that's possible, I definitely want to get there. I don't know if I want to be tested like that in order to know when I've arrived, though.
