READ: Matthew 5:7
Forgiving people who do not deserve your forgiveness is difficult. Maybe they purposefully hurt your feelings. Maybe they did irreparable damage to your relationship. Maybe they wronged someone you love. When you refuse to show someone mercy, you hold the pain of what they did to you inside. In an effort to make them live with what they did, you force yourself to continuously do the same. Jesus says those who forgive others, even when they don’t deserve it, will be blessed and forgiven themselves. Jesus knows that forgiveness is the only way to let go of past pains and begin the process of healing and restoration in your own soul. There is relief in release.
What’s the fifth key to happiness revealed by Jesus? Forgiving others.
To whom do you need to show mercy to free yourself from unforgiveness? Pray to God for strength and healing and then take the next step in forgiving them.