When the Other Person Won't Change

“Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,”

Luke 6:27

My son, my daughter, I need to tell you a hard truth: that person may never change. They may go on with the same behavior that hurt you, never owning the wrong, never saying sorry, never caring enough to try to be different. And you're left wondering if it's even worth forgiving someone who doesn't seem to deserve it.

The forgiveness I teach doesn't depend on the other person changing. If it did, I would never have forgiven anyone, because so many people I love keep repeating the same mistakes year after year. I forgive because of who I am, not because of what someone does in return.

Forgiving someone who probably won't change doesn't mean you have to keep them close in the same way. It may be necessary to create distance, protect your heart, set healthy boundaries. But the forgiveness inside you, that one is for you, not for them. It's the key that frees you from the prison of waiting for a change that may never come.