Forgiveness... Why?

Eppie

What do you exactly mean? Forgiving a relative or a friend or e.g. the whole JW organisation ?

Everyone makes mistakes so everyone should be forgiven once in awhile, including yourself. Forgiving is often also a somewhat selfish thing as well: when you forgive that person you won't lose him, often the easy way to take.

Loris

Forgiveness is the best revenge. When what they have done does not affect your life anymore they have no way of hurting you. Forgiving is letting the anger go away. It does not condone the wrong actions of another it just puts the responsibility of it in their life not yours. My mother once told me that the opposite of love may be hate but the absence of love is indifference. Forgiveness of a major offence can be that same indifference. You can just refuse to let them go on hurting you by harboring resentment. Resentment takes too much energy away from living a peaceful today.

Peace, Loris

LeslieV

I am not sure why you are asking about forgiveness and who or what is it directed to. The most important thing for me is that by forgiving someone an organization whatever, then that hurt no longer has control over me. As one poster put it is the best revenge. Holding anger only hurts yourself whether that be physically or emotionally. Good Luck!!!

Leslie

Inserter

By Golly, if Christ can hang on cross and forgive his executioners we also should forgive.

Introspection

You reclaim a measure of mental/emotional energy when you let go of something that happend in the past. You can actually do this even while doing something that's related to it in the present, but it's all a matter of what kind of state you are in. So, even if you sue someone for wronging you, you can get something back before you even go to court, because that part of it is giving back to yourself, the internal peace and such.

Actually, if you look at what really goes on in a person's mind when they don't forgive is that they are re-creating something that happend in the past. If you don't think about anything that causes you distress you can't help but be at peace. Of course when something is very traumatic it may linger for a long time, but the first step then is to recognize that it is just a thought, a memory. It's cliche but it is also very true that it's a matter of moving on.

LyinEyes

I guess that question just depends.
In my case, forgiveness to those who shun me , treat me as a wicked apostate,,,, is all about thinking they don't understand , they , as I once was, blinded. So I forgive them for their own ignornace.

In the case of my Dad who has not shown me any love or even a phone call for over a year........ I have no forgiveness, because I am not asking him to even say the words, he is sorry. I would love to get a simple piece of paper ,,,,,saying, you will always be my daughter. I love you. Or even I think about you.

I have forgiven my mother for things she did out of just being sick, having her own problems, for taking her own life,,,, I forgive her for the times she didnt take up for me, the times she neglected me, the times she only thought of herself. I think if my mom is in Heaven , she needs to know I have put all of that behind me, and that I miss her , no matter how bad things were at home. I know my mom was sorry for many things before she died. Being a mom myself I hope my children will forgive me for the wrongs I have done, even thou I didnt mean to ever hurt them, I am sure there are plenty of things they will remember when they grow up.

Forgiveness makes you feel at peace , and it makes you feel humble. I think because the scriptures say that how we judge others is how we will be judged. So if we go out of our way to be as forgiving as we possibly can,,,,,,we will be done the same way come our judgement day.

But I don't think God will hold it agaisnt us imperfect humans who are hurting because someone has really hurt us and we can't forgive. Especially when these people refuse that they have done anything wrong. They know they have. Pride is the reason they will not make things right.