I forgive you.

Several years ago I listened to a story about a broken relationship. After talking for a few minutes I learned that my friend was very angry about something that had happened.

I asked, “Have you forgiven her?” Without hesitation, the answer was “No!”

After a few moments of silence, I was asked, “Why should I forgive her?”

I responded, “Well, Jesus said that if you do not forgive others, he will not forgive you.”

After talking about why they had not spoken to each other for several years, I explained that if you are a follower of Jesus, you have to forgive someone of any wrong … no matter how small or large the offense (Matthew 6:14-15).

Forgiveness, however, is more than saying, “I forgive you.”

That is a great start. Forgiveness is a process of letting go of the “debt” you’re owed for a wrong. Depending of the nature of what was “stolen” from you, it may take a little time to work through it.

Paul wrote, “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others” (Colossians 3:13). The more you understand how much God loves and forgives you, you will eventually let go of the unforgivable offense.

The person in this story later told me that their relationship was restored. After years of fighting about something neither of them could recall, both were able to put it behind them, forgive each other, and rebuild their relationship.

Are you holding onto something that is robbing you of God’s peace?