“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32, ESV).
I saw this quote the other day online that really moved me: “Unforgiveness is choosing to stay trapped in a jail cell of bitterness, serving time for someone else’s crime.” Unforgiveness truly is bondage; It is a yoke that slowly tightens around our neck and chokes the life out of us. That kind of bondage of bitterness is like a cancer that spreads throughout your whole body and affects you completely and everything and everyone around you. We are given many opportunities every single day to take the bait to become offended and hold grudges, but it is so important that we hold onto Jesus and His powerful word- God’s perfect truth.
In his letter to the Ephesian church, the Apostle Paul exhorts them to:
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32, ESV).
Just like all of humanity, I have fallen short of the glory of God, and I need my sins to be forgiven and washed clean by the finished work of the cross of Jesus Christ. Oh, what love has been extended to me that while I was yet a sinner, Christ died for me (Romans 5:8)! If Christ died for me and has forgiven me, someone who has sinned against a Holy and righteous God, how could I possibly withhold forgiveness to another child of God?
If you are harboring unforgiveness towards another, especially someone in the family of God, release it now, don’t wait! You can find strength in Jesus to learn to walk in total forgiveness, even in the midst of the most painful sin and offense against you. Oh, what freedom and peace you will find!
In those moments when I am hurt, upset, or offended, I must extend grace, which doesn’t mean that we don’t lovingly rebuke, correct, or warn when necessary, because that is also extending love toward others. But after that difficult confrontation has taken place, we must release that situation to the Lord, and He will be the One to vindicate us if we truly have been wronged or sinned against. We need to rest in His sovereignty and trust that He will work in that person’s heart as well as ours, as He teaches us to love others as He does truly. Above all, we must remember that every person is made in the image of God and deserves love and respect, no matter their actions or words towards us. May the love and mercy that has been given to us from the Lord flow to the most difficult of people in our lives.
I don’t know who you may need to forgive. I don’t know how deep the pain goes, how big or small the offense may be. I don’t know how long you have carried that burden with you, but I do know that you need to forgive, and you don’t have to do it in your own strength. God has given you the Holy Spirit to help you, to heal you, to change your heart. Let’s ask Him to give us the strength to forgive and to pray for those who have hurt us, so that we can be free, honor God, and show compassion towards our brothers and sisters in Christ, extending mercy because we have been given mercy ourselves.
Heavenly Father,
I come to you today first and foremost with a grateful heart that You would lavish Your mercy and love upon me, someone who has sinned against You, oh, Holy and righteous Creator God! Thank you for sending Your Son, Jesus, who stood in my place to die a death that I deserved so that I could be forgiven, justified, and restored to You to be now called Your child. If I am holding onto unforgiveness against someone who has hurt me or gravely sinned against me, I repent and forgive that person immediately. I have no right to harbor unforgiveness against anyone, and as Your child, You call me to forgive others because You have forgiven me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/recep-bg
Related Resource: Instead of Doing More This Summer, Maybe You Need to Do Less
If you've been feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or just quietly wondering where God is in the middle of a very full life — this episode is for you. And honestly? It might be for me too, because I'm recording this in one of those seasons myself.
Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.
Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.
I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
Originally published Monday, 18 May 2026.
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