How Forgiveness Can Heal Broken Hearts

Forgiveness – what a strange concept. 

The words, “I’m sorry.  I was wrong” don’t easily roll off the tongue.  But even more difficult to say is “I forgive you.”

After all, why forgive? Why should I forgive someone who has caused me so much hurt?  Or perhaps an even a better — more troublesome — question: why should someone I’ve hurt forgive me?

The short answer is pretty simple: forgiveness renews your spirit.

I’ve found that forgiving someone for something they’ve done to me does me more good than it does for them. It allows me to release the anger and frustration I’ve been harboring and focus on the more productive, healthy things in my life. So often, life becomes derailed because all of our energy is spent dwelling on the wrongs someone else has committed against us. We allow someone else to radically alter our lives by their wrongdoings and we’re left feeling helpless and powerless.

To that, I say “let go.”

Now lets examine this from a spiritual perspective.

God actually commands us to forgive, because we are all forgiven by him. Matthew 6:14-15 says “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

You see, God knows that forgiving others is going to enrich our lives tremendously. God uses forgiveness to heal our brokenness. He also knows that we are all in desperate need of forgiveness because we all have our own set of struggles and we’ve all fallen short of God’s perfect glory. If our perfect God loves us so much that he would sacrifice his own son (John 3:16) to forgive our sins, why shouldn’t we forgive those who have hurt us in our own lives?

Lastly, whether you know it or not, God knows you better than anyone else. He knows your innermost thoughts, your fears, your dreams, and your aspirations. He knows what’s best for us even when we don’t. And that’s precisely why he commands us to forgive. He wants to heal our broken hearts and make us whole.

Psalm 34:18 says “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” God wants us to have a joyous life and he knows better than we do that forgiveness is crucial to achieving that joy.

I know what many of you are thinking.

“Easier said than done.”

Honestly, I don’t blame you. I understand that many of you have experienced unthinkable pain and suffering from the hands of another. I would encourage you to seek guidance from someone who can provide you with Godly counsel. If you don’t go to a church, find a Bible-based church, and I promise someone there will lead you in the right direction.

Let the power of forgiveness begin to heal your broken hearts and renew your spirits.

Love you all!

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