Forgiveness Is A Choice

Choose forgiveness, you'll find life and peace. It's waiting on you.

Forgiveness is the key to a life of gratitude, peace and joy for those willing to pursue it.

Forgiveness is good for the heart, mind, and body.

Have you been hurt by a past or present offense? Is there something that happened that you’ve struggled to reconcile? If so, you’re not alone. It’s part of the human experience. We’ve all, at some point along the journey of life, had or will have to make a choice to forgive, or will have the need to be forgiven. If forgiveness or offense is something that you find yourself entangled with, I want you to know that there is a way out of this sticky emotional web.

Forgiveness is a choice and it’s all within your power. Many times we walk around waiting for someone else to make things right for us. We’re waiting for the offender to offer that apology or right the wrong in some way. This leads to more anger, resentment, and bitterness, all caused by our longing for someone else to save us from the ugly place of hurt, anger, and unforgiveness. The good news is that you’re human and it’s normal to react and respond this way; however, staying in that emotional spot too long can lead to trouble.

Too much time stuck in anger can be harmful to your emotional well-being, your relationships, and your physical health. Are you experiencing trouble in any of these areas? If so, then it might be time to consider examining your heart for the spirit of anger and unforgiveness.

Are there past experiences from any area of your life that you still find yourself struggling with or that you’re unable to speak about because the pain, hurt, or anger is so great? Identify those things and voice them to someone you trust to hold a safe space for you. Journaling or writing those things is another way to begin working through the anger. Using an outside resource such as a counselor or therapist is another option that would allow you to give voice to the pain.

The road to forgiveness can take days, weeks, months, or even years to process, depending upon the person involved and the nature of the offense or hurt. Forgiveness is hard, so be patient with yourself. Allow yourself the time you need. In the end we have to make a decision to release the hurt and anger or continue living with it. How we decide to handle this will determine our future. Therefore, it’s important to consider the cost of holding on the unforgiveness and the benefits of letting go. We can choose forgiveness today. We can begin to open the door to healing by realizing that all of us, the offender and the wounded, carry wounds inside our hearts.