Have you ever heard someone say, “I’ll forgive you...but I won’t forget”? Or maybe you’ve said “It’s fine” to someone when deep down you were totally not fine? That’s not really forgiveness. If we’re honest, really forgiving someone is so hard!

Real forgiveness (the kind God calls us to do) looks completely different. Ephesians 4:32 tell us to forgive others just like “God in Christ forgave you.” And how did God forgive us? Totally. Unconditionally. He forgave our past sins, our present ones, and our future ones too. He didn’t make us beg or prove we were sorry enough or earn it back over time. He just forgave us. Completely. All of it. Gone!

And here’s the really crazy part! The Bible says God forgave us “while we were still enemies” (Romans 5:10). He didn’t wait for us to fix everything that was wrong with us first. He just loved us and forgave us, even thought we didn’t deserve it. Now, that is what we are supposed to do when it comes to forgiving the people who have hurt us. Not “I’ll forgive you when you apologize enough” or “I’ll forgive you eventually.” But god says to forgive fully and unconditionally, just like He did.

That’s not easy! But here’s the best part: you don’t have to do it on your own. You can ask God to help you forgive. He will help you!

Take Action: Is there someone you need to REALLY forgive? Write their name on a piece of paper, say a prayer asking God to help you forgive them the way He has forgiven you, and then let go of any of your bad feelings about that person. If it helps, tear up the paper as a symbol that you’re really letting it go.