Forgiveness: the real “F” word

I don’t know if anyone else struggles with this, but forgiveness is one of the main things I’ve been dealing with over the past couple of weeks. I could go into this long story of how I was miserably wallowing in self-pity and anger, then how God changed me from the inside out and taught me an invaluable lesson on forgiveness, but I’ll just let you read for yourself the words He spoke to my heart that inspired such a change. Here are 14 verses on forgiveness that come straight from the Bible.

I’ve been in church all my life, but as I read these passages, I realized that I have a LOT to learn about forgiving. It’s not as easy as people try to make it seem, but it’s not impossible, either.

I hope these verses help you let go of whatever grudge you may be holding, because generally, we all have someone or something we need to let go of.

And one more thought – what does holding grudges in your heart do for you? Does it make you happy? Does it make you a better person? If our goal is to let nothing stand between us and God, then harboring grudges should be something we automatically reject.

Psalm 103:12 – God forgives in such extremities that we can only imagine.
Proverbs 19:11 – The wise are well practiced in forgiveness.
Matthew 6:14-15 – Not forgiving others actually inhibits us from receiving God’s forgiveness. Can we really afford that kind of separation?
Matthew 18:20-22 – No matter how repetitious a person’s wrongdoings against us are, we have the power to forgive them infinitely for each sin.
Mark 3:28-29 – All sins that are committed against US, as humans, can be forgiven. There is not a special case in which we have the right to not forgive someone.
Mark 11:25 – It would require a great act of hypocrisy to stand before God and ask for forgiveness, when you refuse to forgive others.
John 20:22-23 – Wouldn’t it be better for all involved if the sins were wiped clean? There is no point in grudges, because they only hurt everyone involved.
Romans 5:20-21 – Because we have God’s power and grace, we are completely capable of forgiving others.
Galatians 6:1-3 – When someone asks for forgiveness, it is not necessary for you to also give them your critical comments.
Ephesians 4:32 – The person you need to forgive doesn’t have to be repentant. basically, the only knowledge you need to forgive others is the knowledge that God has forgiven them, and God has forgiven you.
Titus 3:11 – Sins are between God and the sinner. If the sin doesn’t concern us, and the sinner has not asked for help, don’t worry about it. Deal with your own sins before you can even begin to help others.
James 5:16 – Prayer is power. Pray for others, and pray for the ability to forgive. All you have to do is ask.
1 John 2:12 – All of our sins have been forgiven. The end.

–Dani

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