Sometimes one of the hardest things to do is to forgive someone who has hurt you. After all, we live in a world that when we forgive someone it means that we are giving up, that we’re over the hurt, that the hurt that they caused doesn’t matter anymore.

God wants to open your eyes to the true heart of forgiveness. God teaches us to never forget that the ultimate forgiveness came for our sins on a cross.

When it comes to forgiving others it’s not a matter of giving up, but we are giving them to God. His justice, mercy, and grace. If we, in all our imperfection and disobedience, can be forgiven, then we must forgive others.

Ephesians 4:32 says, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Our goal as Christians is to be like Christ. He forgave us, which means we can forgive others. We can do this because the debt has been paid. This is a powerful and equipping truth.

Jesus reminds us of another important reason to forgive. “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:14-15).

Forgiveness is for our benefit and freedom. We experience forgiveness in direct proportion to our willingness to forgive others. God wants us to live an immeasurably blessed life through Him. Don’t let those blessings be hindered by living in bitterness and resentment toward others.