"Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future."
I have learned a lot in the past 3 years. I've learned how to be an adult and do my taxes. I've learned how to successfully parallel park. I've learned how to be a leader, and not a follower. But the most important thing that I've learned is how to forgive. That by far is something that not only did I need to learn, but something that other people should be striving to learn as well, yet so many people over look the simple yet so defining thing that we call forgiveness.
Tell me- what positive is going to come out of holding a grudge against someone? It's only causing negative effects on you, your relationships, and ultimately your life. Let go of the past. Let go of the things that have hurt you. Forgive the people in your life who you thought you could never think of in a positive way. They are humans too, and everyone messes up.
Things might not always be easy. And the same person might continue to hurt you, and that is the hardest type of forgiveness. Now, I dont have all the answers, but I know that seeing that person through their negative actions will do nothing for you. Look for the positive, and if that person continues to hurt you, maybe it's a fact of just getting away from that person, and forgiving them after you've had time away, and time to think about it all.
There are lots of people who have grudges and unforgiveness towards a person in a previous relationship, but I find that to be immature and unnecessary. I think that every person goes through stages in life, and different relationships to find out more about who you are and to reveal another layer of yourself. The quote by John McCartney comes to mind, "
“There is no love without forgiveness, and there is no forgiveness without love.”
So I want to leave you with the thought of "who has hurt you in your life?"
we all have an answer to that. Now.. another question is, "Out of those people, who have you truly forgiven?"
That will the the more difficult question to answer. We all need to look inside ourselves, and be mature. Forgive those who have hurt us. But why should we? because.... remember last week when you lied? Or 2 months ago when you stole that jewelry from your friend because you liked it so much? Or last year when you told someone you were going to do something, but you never did?
Because God forgives us. So we should forgive others. Who are we to be worthy of such an awesome God to forgive everything that we've done, and he still pours blessing upon blessing into our lives. We can only do the smallest form of gratitude in this way.
But you know what? Not everyone believes in God. They read what I just wrote and disregarded it because they don't believe in what I believe in, and you know what? It's okay. So why should YOU truly FORGIVE someone? Answer the question I asked before... What positive is coming out of holding a grudge and not forgiving someone? Regardless of what you believe or not, I believe that Jesus' teachings of a life filled with love, hope, kindness, and forgiveness is something worth striving for. Even if you don't believe. Changing someones life for the better with an out pouring of love. Hope for the future, that it will be better than the past. Kindness for your neighbor, your friend, and even a stranger. And most of all, forgiveness for the untold person in your life who you know holding onto that anger is only a poison, and the only person it's dragging down, is you. So let go of your pride.
Do it for God.
Do it for yourself.
Let go.
Forgive.
Forget.
Love.
"Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned."
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