Most of us know that it’s important to forgive. We’ve heard the saying, ‘Forgive and forget’. We’ve heard the platitudes that forgiveness is for us, not those who offended us. We’ve heard the research that unforgiveness is at the root of many physical ailments and untimely deaths. Yet, we don’t forgive. We hold on to those who have offended us with righteous indignation. We refuse to excuse their behavior, we refuse to forget what they did, and we refuse to release them from our anger and rage. We smile but we are seething under the surface with a pit in our stomachs every time we hear their names. No, we have not forgiven. But, we can.
We have an example. In excruciating pain, He still said, “Forgive them, they don’t know what they’re doing.” We can forgive because He forgave. I am grateful to release all my offenders. To any who have offended me, I forgive and bless you!
If you have someone to forgive, don’t hesitate. Take the steps. Break free! Forgive them, and be free!