July 19, 2026
How Do I Forgive Those Who Have Hurt Me?
- Pastor Tim Gates
“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” Matthew 6:14
Forgiveness is one of the hardest parts of following Jesus. It is easy to talk about forgiveness until we are the ones who have been betrayed, wounded, rejected, criticized, abandoned, or abused. Many people live tied to anger, resentment, bitterness, and unforgiveness. Like a dog chained to a stake, they may move through life, but they are still limited by what they are dragging behind them. Unforgiveness does not punish the person who hurt us as much as it poisons our own soul.
Forgiveness does not mean pretending the hurt did not happen. It does not mean trusting an unsafe person. It does not mean removing consequences. Forgiveness means releasing the debt to God and refusing to let the wound control my future. Forgiveness does not change my past, but it can release my future.