From a very young age, children are taught to forgive someone who wrongs them. But what exactly does that mean? Forgiveness means to give up resentment of, or to cease to feel resentment against an offender. Or at least that is how it is defined by Merriam-Webster. We are told to “forgive and forget.” But how does one do this? What about the pain and the hurt? What about the damage done?

Many people think that some things are unforgivable. They cannot get past whatever happened to them. It changes their perspective. They feel justified, because they have been wronged.

Learning ask for forgiveness is easy. A simple “I’m sorry” takes almost no breath. But learning to mean it, is another story.

Learning to forgive, on the other hand, that is much harder. To truly and actually forgive someone for the wrong they have done you, the pain they have caused, the promise they have broken.

This article isn’t going to teach you how to forgive. I don’t have a step by step breakdown of what I think you should do. It’s not that simple. What I want is understanding about the importance of this word. “Forgiveness.”

Forgiving someone is liberating. It is not what is required. It is a gift. A free gift, that is given out of the goodness of someone’s heart. No one can force you to truly forgive anyone, you must do it on your own.

It’s hard. It might be easier to hold a grudge, so carry around those feelings of anger and resentment. Your feelings might be justified. You were wronged, so they don’t deserve to be let off the hook. So why let them off?

The answer is simple: Love.

How did love come into this? Love is a totally separate thing, right? Wrong.

Love is freely given, just like forgiveness. Love is patient, love is kind. Love still perseveres, even in times of pain. Love is joyful. Love does not keep a record of wrongs.

Forgive because you have been forgiven. Without a doubt, I know that you have wronged someone in your life. You may think that you’re the stuff, but deep down inside you know that you make mistakes. Everyone does.

But fortunately for all of us, we have been forgiven. We were given grace. Why is this so? Because we were so loved by the Father.

Yeah, I’m talking about God. Don’t stop reading yet, you’ve come so far. I’m almost done, I promise.

Even in our mistakes and our ugliness, he sees us as beautiful. This is because we are his creation. He loves us, and he forgives us for how we have wronged him and caused him pain.

He forgives us, because of what his son did for us. Jesus died on the cross for us, so that he could take our mistakes, our ugliness, our sins upon himself. He died a more painful death that you can imagine. But then something happened. He rose from his grave, alive again. Our God is a living God, because even death could not hold him down.

So, if you decide to follow Jesus and make him your Lord and Savior, God doesn’t see your mistakes. He sees the face of his son, Jesus, whom he loves. Just like he loves you.

This is why forgiveness is so important. It is everything, because without forgiveness, we would all be lost in our sins, drowning in our own ugliness and mistakes. But Jesus’ blood that was shed on the cross, so many years ago, paid the price for us. He forgave us, because that is how much he loves us, and wants to know us and for us to know him.

Forgiveness changes everything. Forgive, because you have been forgiven. By those you have wronged, and by Him who created you.