Have you ever been in a position where you had to release forgiveness? Betrayed? Hurt?
There was a time when I was betrayed by the people closest to me. Words couldn’t touch the depth of that pain, and for a season, it was like I’d been left alone, cut off from the friendships I had once held so close. The hurt was like being stabbed in the heart, and it ached in a way that left me feeling empty.
At first, anger was the loudest voice inside me. I wanted nothing more than to erase these people from my life, to cut-off every connection. A part of me craved vindication; I wanted them to feel even a fraction of the pain they’d caused me, to understand what they’d taken away. But amid the chaos of those feelings, the Lord spoke directly to my heart, “Hurt people hurt people.” The words sank deep. If I retaliated, I would just pass the hurt back, feeding the cycle. I realized that I had a choice: to carry the wound forward or let it end with me.
For the first time, my anger softened. If this pain could stop with me, if I could choose to break that cycle, maybe there was a way to let go and heal. So with tears streaming down my face, I made a decision to forgive the ones who hurt me most.
It was a journey, a choice, and a process. Although I had decided in my heart to release forgiveness, there were days when the weight of it all would still press down, unexpected and heavy. I’d find myself crying, not from anger, but from the sheer difficulty of choosing forgiveness. It’s strange to mourn something you’ve decided to let go of, but I was grieving both the hurt and the part of me that had once clung to it. Forgiveness is complicated; it doesn’t erase what happened, but it changes how we carry it.
There were days when my desire for vindication would rise to the surface, the voice of my old hurt whispering that I deserved justice. I’d have to surrender it again and again, returning to that quiet resolve and trusting that the Lord saw my heart.
Overtime, I realized that I had fully forgiven those who hurt me, relationships were restored. I understood then what Ben&Ben meant in their song: "You never really learn to love someone unless you choose to forgive." That choice to forgive, repeated through the tears and setbacks, had opened a door—not just to peace, but to love that felt fuller and braver than before. Now, I can look at these people in the eyes and say that I love them and know that it is real because I have journeyed with it.
So, why am I sharing this?
Because the other day, I was having a conversation with a friend, and we somehow stumbled onto the topic of forgiveness. Then she said something that blew my mind.
"Sometimes, we find it so hard to forgive,” she said, “but it’s something God does for us every single day.”
Her words hit me deeply. Here we are, wrestling with forgiveness, sometimes holding on and sometimes letting go, and yet, each day, God forgives us without hesitation, without condemnation. It made me realize that forgiveness isn’t just a choice we make—it’s also a gift, something we receive every day, undeserved but given freely.
Maybe this is what the bible meant when it said, “His mercies are new every morning.” Each day, we wake up forgiven, wrapped in grace beyond anything we could ever imagine. No matter how many times we fall short, His forgiveness is there, steady and unwavering.
When Jesus died on the cross, He paid not only for our sins but also for every hurt we would ever feel. He carried that pain so we wouldn’t have to carry it alone. It struck me then that the forgiveness I’m learning to offer isn’t just something I’m called to do; it’s a reflection of a love that gave me everything. In exchange for my hurt, I’m offered healing—a chance to forgive because the price has already been paid.
So, beloved, if you feel like you are too far from the Lord—if you’re feeling too hurt, too unworthy, or even burdened by mistakes that seem impossible to undo—know this: His love is always waiting. In Him, there is no distance that forgiveness can’t bridge. You can come as you are, and in His grace, you can always say, Hello, love, again and again and again.
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