Forgive and Forget

I believe one reason many people live in emotional turmoil is that they refuse to forgive people who have hurt or wronged them. Whether we realize it or not, unforgiveness is often the root of negative feelings. Many people feel justified and think they have a right to refuse to forgive. They think they should hurt the people who hurt them. But this isn’t emotionally healthy or wise.

Very painful things can happen to us in life. Many times, the key to getting through them and being able to enjoy our lives in the future is learning to forgive what has happened in the past. I’m convinced that, as believers and followers of Christ, we will never experience joy-filled, victorious lives unless we forgive people.

Forgiveness is not a feeling; it’s a choice. We can choose to forgive someone whether we feel like it or not. We can even choose to forgive while we feel angry or hurt. Once we make the decision to forgive, our emotions eventually calm down. As we continue to walk in forgiveness, hurt and anger subside.

We may not choose to restore our relationship with the person who hurt us, but forgiveness sets us free from negative feelings toward them and may eventually lead us to feel compassion for them. When we forgive people, we can bless them and pray for them, as Jesus teaches. As a result, we will be blessed too.

We don’t know all the blessings that will come from forgiveness, but we do know it will lead to peace in our hearts and that it’s a key to emotional health.

_{Adapted from the book Managing Your Emotions by Joyce Meyer. Copyright 2023 by Joyce Meyer. Published by Hachette Book Group, Inc. All rights reserved.}