Forgiving someone is hard because the hurt is real, it’s deep and it’s hard to let go of. Usually we are deeply hurt by someone that we trusted, someone close to us. Or we have been hurt because someone betrayed us.

Our first inclination when we have been hurt may be to retaliate or seek revenge but that usually doesn’t help you to feel better. It’s hard to forgive because you feel the person who hurt you should be punished or that they haven’t suffered like you have suffered.

It’s also hard to forgive because your emotions are still raw – you still feel the anger, outrage, fear, sadness, confusion, etc. Your emotions reinforce your pain. Sometimes you become comfortable holding onto the hurt and you don’t know how to let it go.

You may also be afraid to let go of the pain because you think it will make you vulnerable. But true forgiveness is the only way for you to find your peace and freedom.

Mark 11:25 says, “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

The Greek word for forgiveness is “aphesis”, which means to send away, to cancel the sin. What you are canceling is the penalty for the wrong. Sometimes when people hurt you, you say that person “owes me an apology”. When you forgive, you’re saying, “they don’t owe me anything”. You release the person from having to make restitution.

Why would we release that person? We forgive because if we don’t, we either seek revenge or become bitter.  We become imprisoned and frozen emotionally, not the offender. So go through the Process of Forgiveness so you can live your life in freedom and peace.