Why Should You Forgive?

God’s Word tells you to let go of your hurt and resentment—and forgive others. You’ve got to release your hurt instead of rehearsing it.

Here are three reasons why:

Because God forgives you. In Matthew 18, Jesus tells the story of a king who forgives his servant. Verse 27 says, “The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go” (NIV). Similar to how the king canceled the debt of this servant, God sent Jesus Christ to pay for your debt of sin. Everything you’ve ever done wrong in your life has already been paid for by Jesus. He took the blame. He paid your jail time. Jesus Christ died for all your sins.

Because resentment is self-torture. It is a self-inflicted wound. Whenever you’re resentful, it always hurts you more than the person you’re bitter against. In fact, while you’re still worrying about something that happened years ago, the other person has forgotten about it! Your past is past, and it can’t hurt you anymore—unless you hold on to it.

Because you need forgiveness every day. The Bible teaches very clearly that you can’t receive what you’re unwilling to give. How can you receive the forgiveness God has shown you if you’re not willing to forgive others? If you want to be forgiven, you need to be forgiving.

Forgiveness is a lifestyle. It’s not just something you do one time. You need it every day of your life. You’ve got to ask for forgiveness, accept forgiveness from God and from others, and offer forgiveness. It’s a continual process that will bring you joy.