3 Reasons to Choose Forgiveness

“The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.”—Matthew 18:27 (NIV)

Are you tired of walking through life carrying the weight of bitterness and resentment?

God never designed you to live burdened like that. Yet, because we’re human, our natural response to hurt is to hold on to it. We replay the scene over and over in our minds, hoping somehow that reliving it will make it right. But instead of finding peace, we stay stuck.

The Bible is clear: if you want freedom, you must forgive. Let’s look at three biblical reasons why you need to forgive.

1. Forgive Because God Has Forgiven You

In Matthew 18, Jesus tells the story of a king who forgives his servant’s overwhelming debt. Verse 27 says: “The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.”

This is a picture of what God has done for us. Through Jesus Christ, every sin, every wrong, every failure in your life has already been paid for.

Colossians 2:13–14 (NCV) explains it: “When you were spiritually dead because of your sins and because you were not free from the power of your sinful self, God made you alive with Christ, and he forgave all our sins. He canceled the debt . . . and nailed it to the cross.”

If God has wiped out your entire record of sin, how can you withhold forgiveness from someone else?

2. Forgive Because Resentment Only Hurts You

Bitterness doesn’t punish the other person—it punishes you. Resentment is like drinking poison and expecting someone else to get sick.

Think about it: while you’re still stewing over something that happened ten years ago, the other person may not even remember it!

When you refuse to forgive, you chain yourself to your pain. Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the prison door.

3. Forgive Because You Need Forgiveness Every Day

Jesus taught that the measure we use with others is the measure God will use with us (see Matthew 6:14–15). In other words, you cannot receive what you are unwilling to give.

Do you want God’s forgiveness in your life? Then you must practice forgiveness toward others.

Ephesians 4:32 (NIV) puts it plainly: “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

You weren’t made to carry bitterness.

God has forgiven you, and he calls you to live in that same freedom by forgiving others.

Don’t let resentment poison your soul or weigh you down. Release it. Let go of it. And walk in the peace that only forgiveness brings.