Forgiveness

For some time now, I've been living with a dilemma. How do you stop hating a person you don't trust?

In order for me to have peace and to expect forgiveness from God, I must learn to forgive. Each of us is forgiven daily for the sins that we unknowingly commit. How then, can I, knowing that I have offended many in the past, continue to hold the sins of another in my heart? I can't.

So I am resolved not to hate anymore. I have to find a way to show love toward the one who has offended me. In my heart, I choose to believe that she didn't mean to hurt me and I am resolved to restore peace in our relationship.

The Watchtower of July 1, 1970 had this to say about forgiveness:

*** w70 7/1 p. 388 Why You Ought to Be Forgiving ***

Jesus underscored the discrepancy between our indebtedness to God and another person’s indebtedness to us in an illustration. This he gave right after he told the apostle Peter that he must forgive, not only up to seven times, but, “Up to seventy-seven times.”—Matt. 18:21, 22.

In this parable or illustration he told of a king who forgave or canceled the $10 million debt of one of his slaves. But that slave was unwilling even to grant time for a fellow slave who owed him only $17 to make repayment! In fact, he had him thrown into jail! Upon hearing of this, the king canceled the mercy extended to the unforgiving slave and ordered him to be thrown into prison until he had paid all that he owed. Pointing out the moral, Jesus then said: “In like manner my heavenly Father will also deal with you if you do not forgive each one his brother from your hearts.”—Matt. 18:23-35.

Thus Jesus in his parable underscored not only the need of our forgiving others but also the great difference between what others owe us and what we owe God. Yes, what others may be said to owe us by reason of their trespassing against us, compared with what we owe God by reason of trespassing against his laws, might be likened to the difference between $17 and $10 million. If God can be that forgiving, should this, then, not prompt us to be even more forgiving than we have been?

So that's it. I'm letting go of the anger...letting go of the pain.