Is there anyone you need to forgive? Sometime it's hard to forgive, but to refuse causes even more problems. Refusing to forgive others has serious results in our relationship with God. He forgives us and expects us to forgive others. The Bible teaches us to be "tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you" (Ephesians 4:32).
Someone may say, "I would forgive them, but they don't want my forgiveness." Most people who hurt others could probably not care less about their forgiveness. They could quickly say, "I don't need your forgiveness. I didn't do anything wrong to you." But, it's really not about them, as much as it is about you and your relationship with God.
Jesus is our example in forgiveness. Hanging on the cross, He prayed that the Father would forgive those who crucified Him. They didn't want His forgiveness. It was about His relationship with God the Father. "Even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do" (Colossians 3:13).
When others have done something wrong to us, we need to pray for them. Ask God to forgive them, and confess to God that we forgive them. At that point, God begins to heal our emotional wounds. We are released from the bondage of bitterness. We may even receive physical healing. There is power from God through forgiveness.
