Revenge

How can I deal with a hurtful past?

God’s Response

Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32

I will forgive their wrongdoings, and I will never again remember their sins. Hebrews 8:12

God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins. Romans 3:24

Sometimes we feel that if we can forgive, then we can forget. Forgiveness is not really about forgetting (which is often impossible), but about surrendering your right to hurt another person back. Forgiveness allows you to release the bitter desire for retribution and frees you from anger, hurt, and bitterness. After someone has wronged you, time will either harden your heart, making you bitter and unyielding, or it will soften it, giving you a desire for healing and restoration. Willingness to forgive is the only way to achieve these.

God’s Challenge

No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. Philippians 3:13