Okay, God, help me with this….why do You say that I need to forgive others?

Personally, I think that forgiveness is one of the hardest things that a person can do. Realistically, it’s not just the forgiveness of others who have done something wrong against you; but, it can also sometimes be the forgiveness of ourselves for the actions that we have done to others as well.

Okay, so let’s ask ourselves, why is it so hard to forgive others? I don’t know about you, but I have the hardest time forgetting what that person did, let alone forgiving them for it! It’s hard to let go of the pain that that person caused from their actions. We tend to hold it close to ourselves. We may even dream of what we could say or do to “get back at them” for the pain of what they did.

But….. does that actually solve anything?

I’ve found that, no, it doesn’t. It just prolongs the pain that I am suffering. So… what does forgiving them do? Not sure if this is just me personally, but I have found that it actually helps me to move on with my life and I can let go of some of the pain. I also know this, you can’t control what others do but you can control what you do! There are so many places in the bible where it teaches us how to forgive. How can we grow and be better if we are too busy hanging on to what was done to us in the past? There is a saying that I love and try my best to follow: Let Go and Let God!

Trust me, that is not the easiest thing for us humans to do! We like to be in control, but are we really in control when we can’t let go of the hurt? I completely understand that justice needs to come, especially if it was something that was done illegally. What I am talking about, instead, is the hurt that comes from keeping the pain within and not letting go of it. Are you justified in your anger? Absolutely!! I would not say any differently, but if you don’t let it go then it becomes an anchor that continues to weigh you down.

So, what did I learn from this? Forgiveness is not the same as forgetting! Forgiving someone just lets me have a sense of peace and joy in knowing that I have gotten past it. I have moved on in my life. I have let go and given it to God, instead, and I have triumphed over the pain!!

What can you gain from this? Ask yourself this….. don’t you want to find your peace and joy as well? When you know the answer to that, then you know what you can gain from it.