The Freedom of Forgiving

“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

John 8:32

I want to tell you a secret about forgiveness that few people truly understand: it was never meant to set the other person free. It was always meant to set you free. As long as you hold on to the hurt, you're the one carrying the weight every single day, not the person who wronged you, who may have already moved on without a second thought about what they did.

My son, my daughter, you've probably noticed this already: the person who hurt you might be sleeping peacefully tonight, while you replay the scene in your mind for the hundredth time. That isn't justice, it's you wounding yourself twice over the same injury.

Forgiveness is the most selfish and the most generous act at the same time: generous because it releases the other person from the debt, selfish because it frees you first of all. The truth I want you to know today is this: you no longer need anyone's apology to be free. My truth about forgiveness is already available to you, right now.