The Power of Forgiveness: How Letting Go Heals
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February has never been an easy month for me. Though the days are getting longer, and the nights are getting shorter, the brisk winter air still bites me deep within. After losing one of my half-brothers to an overdose last year around this time, I’m not sure I’ve been the same. I still rejoice with every Valentine I receive or smile when we get seven inches of snow, but something about winter ices my veins—it penetrates my heart to the core.
This is a vivid picture of how many describe forgiveness, or lack thereof. As much as they try to forgive, they just can’t seem to let go. It’s like they are bitten by the icy winds and unable to get warm. No matter how much hot tea they drink, the blankets they pile on, or the bubble baths they participate in, their hearts are cold. Many people want to forgive, but they can’t seem to shake the scenario.
Intellectually, they know the importance of forgiveness, personally and spiritually. They know that’s something they should do, and that forgiveness doesn’t mean what the other person did was okay. Still, they end up holding onto grudges or bitterness instead. Before they know it, their emotions and spirits are mourning.
As Christians, they know Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:14-15 by heart: “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:14-15, NIV). It sounds so easy to let it go so that we, too, may be forgiven. But as we all know, forgiveness isn’t that easy. So how do we learn to forgive?
