Many of us have experienced struggles with forgiving those who have hurt and wronged us. In addiction, we may need to forgive ourselves for immature, un-thought out actions and reactions we have had.
For the serious follower of Jesus Christ, forgiving is not optional. In fact, the Lord’s prayer ties it to our own forgiveness. I certainly do not want to let my attitude towards someone else keep me from the best God has for me. Forgiving does not mean we think the other person was right in what they did to us, it does not mean we have to go back into the same closeness we had with them before the offense occurred. It does mean we free them to let God work and we do not try to do it for Him. It is very freeing to just “let it go.” It can be quite a struggle but it is worth it. After all none of us have the extreme situation Jesus had as He hung on the cross and He said, ”Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”
My book, Unshackled, has some specific helps for those who are facing the difficulty of forgiving someone.
© Peggy Park
