Forgiveness is a Choice

You never know how hard forgiveness is, until you are put in a position to forgive someone.  The situation does not matter.  Forgiveness is a choice.  You can choose to forgive someone and have peace.  You can choose not to forgive and have turmoil.  I recently had an experience that caused me to search deep within myself and get to a place of forgiveness.

As I started to think more about the situation, I became angrier and angrier.  I quickly realized that I was not going to get any sleep (literally) or peace in my life if I became bitter.  How would I be able to function and take care of myself and my kids, if I was preoccupied by everything else?  Some fail to realize that forgiving someone is not for their well-being. Rather, it is for your sanity and peace of mind.  When we do not forgive someone, we allow them to have a strong hold over us.  I don't know about you, but God is the only one that can control me.  I am strong enough to know that my strength does not come from me.  Rather it comes from the Lord.

I thank God for the wisdom to know that forgiveness is a requirement.  I thank God for discernment in knowing when someone is being genuine and when they are not.  I also thank God that I do not have a spiteful or vindictive heart.  I found that that was the key to being able to forgive someone.  Having spite or wanting to even the score with someone will only back fire.  Two wrongs definitely do not make a right.  Yet people still feel like getting even will help them heal.

News Flash!  It will not.  The only thing that will help you to heal is to have love in your heart and not lose it.  Love covers a multitude of sins.  Love is so powerful that it can change a situation and allow you to feel free, powerful, and better than before.  As I leave you, I want you to know that forgiving someone does not happen over night, in a week, or even in a year.  Forgiveness happens when you decide to let go of the strong hold and allow God to break chains.