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We know forgiveness is important for our health and commanded by God, but how do we forgive?

I encourage you to work on learning how to forgive. There are many roads to forgiveness. I will share a few with you, do not be overwhelmed with the sheer volume of suggestions.

Four steps - Psychologist Robert Enright

  1. Uncover your anger
  2. Decide to forgive
  3. Work on forgiveness
  4. Release from emotional prison

 

Five Strategies - Elizabeth Scott

  1. Express yourself
  2. Look for the positive
  3. Cultivate empathy
  4. Protect yourself and move on
  5. Get help if you need it

 

Six steps to forgiveness - Counselinglibrary.org

  1. Recognize the need to forgiveness
  2. Identify exactly what needs to be forgiven
  3. Consider Intent vs. Impact
  4. Understand and prevent intentional harm
  5. Find ways to let it go: verbally, physically, and spiritually
  6. Move on with joy

 

Seven steps to true forgiveness - Thriveworks.

  1. Acknowledge the hurt (who, why, what, how)
  2. Consider how you were affected
  3. Accept you can not change the past your anger won't redeem what's been done.
  4. Determine if you will forgive.
  5. Repair the relationship (rebuild connection), this is not the same as reconciliation.
  6. Learn what forgiveness means to you, realize it is not for the other person.
  7. Forgive the person silently or verbally, their reaction won't matter.

As a popular brand proclaims Just Do It!

 

Philippians 4: 13 AMP   I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]

1 Corinthians 13 :4-7 AMP   Love endures with patience and serenity, love is kind and thoughtful, and is not jealous or envious; love does not brag and is not proud or arrogant. It is not rude; it is not self-seeking, it is not provoked [nor overly sensitive and easily angered]; it does not take into account a wrong endured. It does not rejoice at injustice, but rejoices with the truth [when right and truth prevail]. Love bears all things [regardless of what comes], believes all things [looking for the best in each one], hopes all things [remaining steadfast during difficult times], endures all things [without weakening].

Luke 11: 4 AMP   And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us [who has offended or wronged us]. And lead us not into temptation [but rescue us from evil].

Matthew 6: 14-15 AMP   For if you forgive others their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins], your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others [nurturing your hurt and anger with the result that it interferes with your relationship with God], then your Father will not forgive your trespasses.

Ephesians 4: 32 AMP   Be kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted [compassionate, understanding], forgiving one another [readily and freely], just as God in Christ also forgave you.

Colossians 3: 13 AMP   bearing graciously with one another, and willingly forgiving each other if one has a cause for complaint against another; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so should you forgive.

Matthew 18: 21-22 AMP   Then Peter came to Him and asked, “Lord, how many times will my brother sin against me and I forgive him and let it go? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered him, “I say to you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven.

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