I forgive you – three very powerful, but very difficult words to speak. Perhaps even more difficult are the words, “Please forgive me.” Why does it take so long to work up the courage, humble ourselves and put away our pride? Jesus offered this medicine while on the earth when He shared that if we forgive, we will be forgiven. Paul the apostle stated it so succinctly when he wrote it this way, “Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Nicky Gumbel, the Alpha course teacher, once said that the first one to apologize is the bravest one.

It has been well stated that to withhold forgiveness only hurts us. It keeps us bound by our refusal to release the one who hurt us or who we hurt. Withholding forgiveness will separate you from your soul mate. It will make life far more stressful. When we express forgiveness to one another and the air is cleared, it’s like a new sense of connection, freedom and release of tension. The heaviness can leave; eye contact and affection can return. You will fall asleep easier and you will wake up more refreshed. Through forgiveness your heart, mind and spirit can once again be at peace. Be brave, be the initiator when it comes to forgiving.