Do you really want to carry a persistent feeling of ill will or resentment?
Hey girl, it’s time. Go ahead and forgive and let go. Some things are just not meant to be carried. Grudges are one of them. Grudges are “a persistent feeling of ill will or resentment resulting from a past insult or injury.” Think about that for a minute. Do you really want to carry a persistent feeling of ill will or resentment? Regardless of why. Do you? That takes a lot of energy and time that could be well spent doing something more fulfilling.
Don’t be this guy sis. We can do so much better. A while ago, I literally wrote down every person or entity that I held a grudge against. I went all the way back to the age of 5. Yes girl, 5. Next, I prayed a prayer of forgiveness. I released them and “it”. All of it. And you know what? It felt so good to not hold onto that anymore. You’ve heard it said, “forgive but never forget”. Well, I say if you’re going to forgive, you should also forget. Why? Because life has a way of teaching us lessons even in broken relationships. If you go near something that is hot, you won’t touch it. Why? Because you’ve learned not to. You don’t bring up the thing that burnt you. You just don’t touch it. In the same way, you don’t need to hang onto what happened in the past and hold it. Because really, are you operating in forgiveness by doing that?
You’ve heard it said, “forgive but never forget”. Well, I say if you’re going to forgive, you should also forget.
Recently, someone I once had a relationship with reached out to me. They wanted to simply clear the air and apologize for anything they may have done in the past. Do you know what happened? I forgave. I settled the matter in my heart a while ago but now this sealed it. We don’t have to go back to being friends BUT we don’t have to walk around with a persistent feeling of ill will or resentment towards one another either. I simply accepted the apology, extended one of my own, and now we move forward.
Listen, in times that we are currently living in where things are so uncertain, we don’t have time for petty grudges. So, if you are reading this and someone crosses your mind that you have ill feelings towards, do what you must do in order to make peace and forgive. Reach out if you must. Write their name down and speak forgiveness and release if you must. Forgive AND forget. Let that person go from your resentful grip and see how far you will soar.
