“Zacchaeus said, ‘Look, Lord… if I have cheated anybody out of anything I will pay back four times the amount.’” Luke 19:8
I am convinced that one of the most important principles that I picked up on in my early days of learning to walk with Jesus was the principle of restitution. I had repented of the sins that I was conscious of and was resting in the forgiveness that removed the weight of guilt, but there appeared to be something more that I was being called to do. I wrote a letter to my parents asking them to forgive me for the agony I had caused them as a teen. There were other letters and apologies that seemed the right thing to do.
Then I was confronted with all that I had stolen during my teen years. “What can I do about that, Lord?” I had moved away from where I grew up so I sent letters and checks to more than cover what I had stolen. I thought I was all done doing that when one day the Lord brought to my attention all the gas I had stolen from a Sears warehouse that had been near my home. Working at a Sears in Medford kind of complicated matters a bit, so I just prayed and asked the Lord how I could make this right.
On my next trip down to the Bay Area I called and made an appointment with the manager of the warehouse and brought a check with me that I felt was the right amount. I was somewhat nervous as I could think of many different ways that this scene could play out. I told the manager that as a teen I used to come down on Sunday mornings and steal gas from his trucks and that now I had become a Christian and I wanted to make it right. I asked if he would please accept this check as restitution. His response calmed any fears. “Wow! This is amazing! Just last night in our Bible study we were talking about restitution. Of course I will accept your check.” We talked for a few minutes longer as he wanted to hear how the Lord had prompted me to follow through on this largely ignored practice. I left knowing that I had pleased the Lord and that he had been pleased to prepare the way for me to clear my conscience.
I tell this story because I know that some of you bear the weight of unfinished business with someone you have wronged. The Lord has forgiven you, but there seems to be something left for you to do. May I encourage you to write that letter, send that check, make that call, or make the contact that will quiet your conscience. The lightness of heart that follows is worth it.
Pastor Doug
