Forgiveness isn’t complicated. Forgiveness is one of the simplest aspects of life. Yet, we as sinners, with our egos and pride, choose to make it complicated. God didn’t make forgiveness complicated. We made forgiveness difficult to achieve, because of our anger, shame and our prideful thoughts. God wants everyone to be forgiven by Jesus and His death on the cross, yet so many people choose to ignore Him and His promises.

You chose to ignore the longing for the truth and for the true peace in your hearts. So many times, you don’t want to forgive other people for the wrongs they did because you are carrying so much anger towards them. You often carry enough anger that it actually blinds you to what forgiveness actually is. Forgiveness isn’t just Jesus dying on the cross for your sins. It is an act that you have to choose whether or not you want to proceed with. It is the act of telling someone that they don’t have to worry about the things they did before, being held against them. It is an act that tells the people that wronged you “I’m strong enough to want to let go of the past and I am ready to move forward.”

God gave you the choice whether or not to forgive people, but He also warns that if you don’t forgive others, then He won’t forgive you.  It says, in Mathew 6:15, “But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” It is a sobering and sometimes scary reality check to be told that if you choose not to forgive others who have wronged you, then God will not forgive you for the sins you have committed against Him, daily and against others. You have that choice to make every day.

You sin against your fellow man every day. You also sin against God every day. You then turn around and ask God for forgiveness, then turn right around and sin again almost instantly. Think about the sins you’ve committed just today, alone. Whether it is cursing, using God’s name in vain or coveting your coworkers’ big pay raise or your friend’s promotion, or anything else that you can think of. No one is guiltless of sin.

The only one who is completely sinless and perfect is Jesus Himself. Think about anything and all the things you’ve done wrong in your life. Wouldn’t you rather have Jesus forgive your sins than hold everything that you’ve done wrong against you? If you want Jesus to forgive you, then why can’t you forgive someone else? As God’s child, you already have the power and strength within you to forgive others, no matter what they may have done to you. You have the inner courage to be able to forgive others too.

If you don’t forgive others, all it does is steal your peace and your joy. Being unable to forgive people not only hardens you as a person. It hardens your soul and makes you out to be a person that might be acting as if you’re better than everyone else. No one wants to be around a person with too much ego. Why would you want to carry around so much bitterness and anger towards someone? All it does is rob you of the true peace that God wants to put inside your heart.

Why would you want to be around that person and not talk to them because of your refusal to forgive that person? You could end up being pretty lonely because every single person has wronged someone they love and care about. It takes guts and courage, not to mention perseverance to admit to someone else that you’ve done them wrong and it takes even more courage to ask for their forgives.

If you’ve wronged someone, the most important thing to do is pray about asking them for forgiveness. Pray about what to say and how to say what you need to say to the other person. God will give you the right words and the right way to approach them. He will help you figure out how to ask for their forgiveness. Even if the person doesn’t forgive you for what you’ve done wrong to them, be assured that God saw you trying to make things right. Ask God to help that person forgive you and to repair the relationship in His way and in His timing.

Forgiveness is the best medicine for anyone. It not only frees you if you ask for it. It also frees you if you receive it. Give and receive forgiveness freely as often as you can. Don’t make forgiveness hard or complicated, because God made it easy.