For if you forgive people their wrongdoing, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. But if you don’t forgive people, your Father will not forgive your wrongdoing.     Matthew 6:14-15 HCSB

Many people see forgiveness as weakness. I must say, however, forgiveness is one of the hardest things I have ever done.  I had to draw from God’s strength to get it done.

We know we can be forgiven of our sins. Our Scripture passage tells us so. We also know from 1 John 1:9 if we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. God not only forgives us of our sins, but He removes them from us as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12-14).

Many of us fail to realize, however, that while God’s love is always unconditional, His promises are not. God loves us no matter what we do. He makes promises, however, that have conditions placed on them. They require something on our part. Our Scripture passage is an example. We can be forgiven, but we must forgive others.

Romans 8:28 is another example of a conditional promise. Paul said we know all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose. There is no guarantee that even bad things will work out for our good, unless we love the Lord and live our lives according to His will.

Jesus said these things, so we will understand we have to do our part.

If someone hurts you and you fail to forgive them, your sins will not be forgiven.  Is it really worth it to harbor unforgiveness? This means it really is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.

Unforgiveness leads to bitterness and hatred. 1 John 3:15 says, “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him? When we refuse to forgive, we are allowing what someone else did to control us to the point that we forfeit eternity in heaven.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:44 to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. When we fail to do this, we end up bitter. When others see this, they see that the other person has gotten the best of us. The other person lives rent free in our head because we can’t let it go.

It takes great strength to forgive someone and when we fail to do so, it shows weakness on our part. When we can’t let go of past hurts, it’s like allowing the other person to control us.

If you are having a hard time letting go of past hurt and forgiving those who have hurt you, I encourage you to pray to God and ask for His help. Every time you have a bitter thought, pray for Him to remove bitterness from your heart. Pray for God to help you forgive them. Pray for their salvation.

I want peace and joy in my life, not drama and stress. For that reason, I have chosen to let go and let God handle my battles.

It’s a great feeling. I strongly encourage you to give it all over to God. Forgive those who have hurt you, it’s not for them, it’s for you. They are living their best life. They don’t care about you and your feelings. If they cared, they wouldn’t have hurt you in the first place or would have asked for your forgiveness.

Is unforgiveness, bitterness and hatred worth forfeiting your forgiveness? Is it worth you going to hell?

I had a time in my life when I refused to forgive. When I realized God was serious about us forgiving, I had to let it go. It was a process requiring prayer and obedience. I needed God’s help. He helped me and in return gave me so much peace and joy.

I pray you can do the same.

Have a great day!