06/25/2026
Unforgiveness breeds bitterness and contempt. Contempt kills relationships. When we refuse to forgive, we hammer a stake into the timeline that does not allow the person who offended us to move forward in their story. But we don’t realize part of our soul is tethered to that moment as well. Over time, unforgiveness becomes bitterness, eating away at us. And we hold contempt for others, shriveling our hearts up. Tragically, we become unable to receive grace from God and walk in forgiveness.
When we choose to forgive, we are modeling Jesus to one another. We are saying, “I refuse to shackle you to your mistakes, I want us to move forward into freedom in Christ.”
Forgiveness is not:
A feeling
Pretending like everything is fine
Putting up with repeated bad behavior or sin
A thing we hold hostage until someone apologizes
A guarantee of reconciliation
Forgiveness is:
Actively engaging with wrongdoing (courage)
Choosing not to be burdened by bitterness (release)
Choosing out of condemnation, offering grace to the offender
After the grace of forgiveness, there is expectation for change. Forgiveness can change the dynamics of a relationship!