Home
>
Spirituality
>
Forgiveness: The Other Side

Forgiveness: The Other Side

If we are honest with ourselves, we would have to admit that the reason we have difficulty forgiving others is because we sincerely believe we are justified in our withholding forgiveness. We become the judge of the offenders and by harboring bitterness and resentment against them; it is our distorted way of meting out punishment. After all, our wounds are deep and our heart severely punctured.

At the core of our unwillingness to forgive of course, is our own selfishness-the "me" factor. We are deeply focused on what was done to "me." We refuse to let ourselves heal and we therefore become prisoners of the self, forever pacing the narrow cell of animosity and self-pity. Some folks have sentenced themselves for life and they are still dismally serving their time.

Scripture is clear in its warning to not usurp God's responsibility. It is not our job to "get even." As Paul wrote to the Romans, "Do not take revenge my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay, says the Lord'" (Romans 12:19). We must surrender the idea that we need to punish those who have hurt us. God has His own timetable and His own way and we have to relinquish the desire to even "get them told."

For our own emotional, spiritual, and physical well-being, forgiveness is central. Nothing I can say would exaggerate its importance.

Every human being possesses the capacity to forgive though, granted, it may not be easy. It may not be easy to forgive because it requires an acute awareness of our own need to been forgiven.

Forgiveness has two sides that are forever linked together: the forgiveness we need from God and the forgiveness we owe to other human beings. Until you forgive others, you are not able to receive forgiveness from God. You cannot receive forgiveness because by your unwillingness to forgive, you have blocked the entrance to your heart barring God from entering. God will not force His way through. But, in recognizing and understanding our own need to be forgiven, we are released from the pride that binds and enabled through God's power to forgive others.

Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D., is an ordained clergywoman, social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries. http://www.clergyservices4u.org. She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances: Homilies that Teach. Her new book, Out of Deep Waters: My Grief Management Workbook, will be available soon.

licensed cleaning services Park Ridge ..

In The News:

Chrome extension spyware disguised as a free VPN service highlights security risks after it captured private browsing data from trusted sites.

New research shows how fatty acids in cooking oil can safely dissolve and recover silver from circuit boards without harmful chemicals or environmental damage.

The Fox News AI newsletter gives you information on the latest AI technology advancements, and about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Anthropic investigates alarming AI abuse case where hacker automated entire cybercrime campaign using Claude, stealing sensitive data from defense and healthcare firms.

TikTok, Meta and YouTube restrict Charlie Kirk shooting videos with age gates and warnings while X faces criticism for allowing continued circulation.

Cybercriminals use fake troubleshooting websites to trick Mac users into running terminal commands that install Shamos malware through ClickFix tactics.

San Francisco startup Fable launches Showrunner, an AI platform dubbed the 'Netflix of AI' that generates animated episodes from text descriptions with Amazon support.

Apple raised iPhone prices for some models despite receiving tariff relief from President Donald Trump, with the new lineup starting at $799 for the base model.

A two-story 3D concrete printed home in Western Australia demonstrates faster construction methods that could reshape American housing amid rising costs.

Credit scores remain important during retirement for insurance rates and housing applications, while seniors become prime targets for identity theft and financial scams.

Scammers now send unexpected packages with QR codes that redirect victims to fraudulent websites or download malicious software to steal sensitive information.

Meeting AI tools record private conversations alongside work discussions, creating privacy risks that can be managed with proper settings and awareness.

Hotel privacy concerns are valid but rare, with methods to detect hidden tech using smartphone flashlights, mirror tests and scanning apps.

Improve your Wi-Fi speed and reliability with 10 simple router optimization tips that don't require special apps or expensive subscriptions.

A Columbia University breach exposed names, Social Security numbers and academic records of nearly 869,000 people, with notifications beginning in August.

Rental car drivers use AI-powered apps like Proofr to protect themselves from unfair damage fees as major companies deploy automated inspection tools.

Fox News' AI newsletter brings you the latest on technology advancements around artificial intelligence.

OnTrac data breach between April 13-15, 2025, exposed personal information of over 40,000 people including Social Security numbers and medical records.

A woman named Wika announces her engagement to an AI chatbot sparking worldwide debate about virtual relationships and technology.

The notorious people search site National Public Data relaunches despite a previous breach affecting 3 billion individuals, raising fresh privacy concerns.

Revolutionary TRAUMAGEL gel controls life-threatening bleeding from gunshot wounds and traumatic injuries, helping first responders prevent prehospital deaths.

Protect your home network by enabling proper encryption, creating strong passwords, checking connected devices and using VPN and antivirus software.

The Navy's solar-powered Skydweller drone flew nonstop for 73 hours in Mississippi, proving renewable energy can power long-endurance military missions.

Moving and downsizing expose seniors to identity theft and scams as data brokers collect real estate records and personal information to sell to criminals.

ShengShu's Vidar technology revolutionizes humanoid robot training by using AI-generated synthetic video, reducing required training data from hours to just 20 minutes.

Forgiveness: The Other Side

Spirituality