When We Forgive...

"If we really want to love, we must learn how to forgive." - Mother Theresa

Forgiveness is usually hard but it definitely works! Forgiving is an effort we make for ourselves and not because we are obliged to do so. It is a gift that we give to ourselves and not something that we do for others. Refusing to forgive by holding on to anger and resentments is as good as remaining victims of our hurtful past. It is always a choice we make for ourselves to help us begin the process of healing our wounds. The hurts won't heal until you forgive! Recovery from wrongdoing that produces genuine forgiveness takes time. For some, it may take years. Don't rush it. It encourages us to believe in the possibility of building a better future. It builds our confidence that we survive the pain and learn and grow from it!

One helpful tip is simply identifying the situation to be forgiven and ask yourself: "Am I willing to waste my energy further on this matter?" If the answer is "No," then that's it! All is forgiven.

Forgiving is freeing us from the poison of anger, bitterness, and hatred. It is an internal matter; an effort to gain peace of mind and renewal of our spirits. Forgiving the person who has caused us pains doesn’t necessarily mean defeat. Moreover, it is a triumphant move over the person who hurt us! Forgiveness does not mean that we have to reconcile with someone who badly treated us! We CAN forgive even without them knowing. Remember that THERE IS NOTHING SO BAD THAT CAN NOT BE FORGIVEN… NOTHING!

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” Mahatma Gandhi

Forgiving is to “let-go” and “move-forward”! One can not step into another relationship without resolving the past hurts first. HEALTHY love relationships are not possible without forgiveness! You cannot have a loving and rewarding relationship with anyone else, much less yourself, if you continue to hold on to things that happened in the past. Remember that it takes no strength to forgive, only COURAGE.

"Forgiveness is giving up the resentment to which you are entitled and offering to the person who hurt you friendlier attitudes to which they are not entitled." Robert Enright

Forgiveness helps you move forward. No one benefits from forgiveness more than the one who forgives! Give yourself the gift of forgiveness. The very word forgiveness is built on the root word "give".

It helps to focus on the things that you have learned out of the hurts and pains of the past. That itself is something to be grateful about. Learn to appreciate the blessings and love around you. Withholding forgiveness and dwelling in the past only makes you remain victim. There is no future in the past. The only way to restore your self is to give-up the past and forgive. That gives you a sense of peace and improves your well-being as a person.

“Forgiveness is the most important single process that brings peace to our soul and harmony to our life.”

Still find it difficult to forgive? View forgiveness as a spiritual act. It takes moral courage to forgive. Allow Divine Grace to express through us. Remember how God forgives man’s sins and how He continually does so. How can you be forgiven if you do not forgive? Of course we don’t have a heart as kind as God’s but still He gave us “heart” and “mind” that work harmoniously together. We are given the free will to decide and make choices. The question is “do we choose to make things right?” or “do we choose to remain in the past and stay regretful all throughout our lives?”

Forgiveness is the key to our own happiness and we hold the key! It helps us make peace with the past. Forgiveness is the sweetest revenge.

Here are some prayers that can help you:

Prayer for Forgiveness. . .

#1 - Living, loving Spirit, let me practice forgiveness today by starting with the little hurts. I will let go of all the everyday occurrences that do not go the way I want, and the moment I begin to feel the familiar feeling of anger or resentment, I will practice forgiveness by invoking your loving and peaceful Presence and allowing divine grace to surround me. And so it is.

#2 - Living, loving Presence, I enter this moment of silence and consciously make the decision to unburden and detach myself from the painful memories of the past. I release to you everything that holds me back from my spiritual journey. I feel your power working in and through me in forgiving and letting go all that needs to be forgiven and released. And so it is.

“One pardons to the degree that one loves.” - Francios De La Rochefoucauld

“Our capacity to make peace with another person and with the world depends very much on our capacity to make peace with ourselves.” - Thich Nhat Hanh

“Love is an act of endless forgiveness.” - Peter Ustinov

“Genuine forgiveness is participation, reunion overcoming the powers of estrangement. . . We cannot love unless we have accepted forgiveness, and the deeper our experience of forgiveness is, the greater is our love.” - Paul Tillich

“To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love. In return, you will receive untold peace and happiness.” - Robert Muller

“You know you have forgiven someone when he or she has harmless passage through your mind.” - Rev. Karyl Huntley

“Always forgive your enemies - nothing annoys them so much.” - Oscar Wilde

“When you forgive, you essentially undo the ability to blame. When you stop blaming yourself, you start to like yourself and you're much more fun to be around. You get your power back over your life. That is the power of forgiveness.” - Eldon Taylor

“There is no revenge so complete as forgiveness.” - Josh Billings

“When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free.” - Catherine Ponder

“One of the most lasting pleasures you can experience is the feeling that comes over you when you genuinely forgive an enemy - whether he know about it or not”. - A. Battista

“Forgiveness is the release of all hope for a better past.” - Alexa Young