Forgiveness
It’s the hardest thing to give away
And it’s the last thing on your mind today
It always goes to those who don’t deserve
-Lyrics to Forgiveness by Matthew West
Whether we’d like to admit it or not, we all have that one person in our lives. They are that one person who either betrayed us, hurt us deeply, or caused us some level of pain that we just can’t seem to forget, no matter how long it’s been. And we definitely don’t like to admit that forgiving this person for the pain they caused us is at the bottom of our To Do list.
Well, it may be hard to believe, but forgiving them could be exactly what you need to do to set yourself free from the pain it’s causing you. This forgiveness could even set the other person free.
I know this from personal experience.
A couple years ago I was holding on to some deep emotions of anger towards someone who had seriously betrayed me and was unfaithful, someone who I had trusted and envisioned being a part of my life forever. Two years had passed since I lost contact with this person, and I was still so angry with them for what they had done.
At this point, I felt convicted to contact this person and forgive them. Not just via a text message or a phone call, no, but through a face-to-face conversation. Like Matthew West’s lyrics say, it was the hardest thing for me to give away. Telling someone you forgive them after they’ve caused you the worst pain of your life is not a piece of cake. But truthfully, this was one of the most life-changing moments I’ve experienced. Forgiving them not only set myself free from many bondages, but set this person free from immense feelings of guilt as well.
So is there someone in your life you need to forgive? Maybe it’s an old friend who walked out of your life. Maybe it’s a parent who never had a huge role in your childhood, or maybe it’s yourself. Whoever you need to forgive, go forgive them. I’m not saying you need to meet up with every person in your life who’s hurt you and tell them you forgive them face-to-face. But I am suggesting you take a serious look at your heart and pray about God revealing any forgiveness you need to give. It’ll definitely impact your life, and possibly many more.
“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” – Ephesians 4: 31-32