Do I Have To?

Forgiveness...not so easy sometimes.

Something someone says or does can bother you for the rest of your life...but only if you allow it to. My dad told me one time about a woman who forgave a man who had raped and murdered her daughter. I would still find myself wondering how that could ever be possible, but with the help of God...ANYTHING is. Thankfully, most all of us have far less to forgive anyone for than what that poor woman did. So why do we allow it to be so difficult at times?

One reason is simply not realizing that forgiveness is good for us. Dwelling on negative thoughts, and reliving what was said, or done, to us over and over again in our minds is not only a waste of time, but can also quite detrimental to our well being.

Bitterness not only affects one's emotional state and outlook on life, but can also cause physical problems and affect other relationships as well. Understanding that letting go of bad things from the past is in our best interest can help us to do just that.

Another reason is failing to understand that by not forgiving someone of something allows them to have a kind of victory over us and keeps us in a defeated state of mind. By forgiving them, you are basically saying, "What you said, or did, did not destroy me. I have overcome it. I am stronger than the wrong that you did to me."

This doesn't mean that you have to be around that person. In fact, as I have written before, there are some people that you need to get away from...and STAY away from. Not to, in so many cases, usually means more of the same treatment in the future, and there is certainly no need for that.

Let it go...and move on.

OinK!