It's been said that "to error is human, but to forgive is divine." While this is a true statement, it's also vital to forgive is you want to move forward and enjoy life.

It's been said that "to error is human, but to forgive is divine." While this is a true statement, it's also vital to forgive if you want to move forward and enjoy a life of joy and contentment. It may be divine to forgive, but it's also possible, even if you feel you could never forgive someone for the harm done to you.

Why Is it So Hard to Practice Forgiveness?

Unfortunately, too many Christians are held in bondage because they believe the lie that it's impossible to forgive someone. They want to hold on to their grudges, believing they'll loose control if they humble themselves and grant forgiveness. However, that's how the world thinks, and not how Christians should conduct themselves. In reality, just the opposite is true. If you harbor unforgiveness in your heart, you're actually the one who suffers and is in bondage.

Refusing to Forgive Can Be Bad for Your Health

What's more, refusing to forgive can also affect your health. For example, take the act of clenching your teeth. Besides hurting your jaw joints, as well as your teeth, your pocketbook also is affected because you have added dental expenses. Other problems may include impaired breathing, as well as moodiness and depression.

Forgiveness Is a Way of Life---Not a One-time Action

The act of forgiving shouldn't be just a rare action, but should be something we do regularly, on a daily basis. Let's face it. We can't go along in life for too long before we have an opportunity to forgive someone. We may not verbally lash out, but we can get upset with people in our thoughts, without even realizing we need to forgive them.

The best way to practice forgiveness is to immediately lift up the person who's offended you. As soon as the Holy Spirit brings to your mind someone who's wronged you, say aloud, "I forgive _________." (the name of the offender.) Continue to do this until you've forgiven everyone the Holy Spirits brings to your thoughts.

Can You Forgive When Your Offenders Don't Ask for it?

Yes, you can. It's not your job to force your offenders to ask for forgiveness. When you forgive people without their asking for it, you release yourself from bondage, freeing your offenders to see how they need to ask for forgiveness. In other words, the ball is in their court.

But what if your offender has died? You can still forgive him (or her). Write out a forgiveness speech and then burn it, as an act of letting go and releasing someone, even though he's no longer alive.

Forgive Yourself

Finally, be sure to forgive yourself. Many people don't have a problem forgiving others. However, they can't forgive themselves. But we can't live in a victorious Christian life until we've forgiven ourselves, regardless of how hopeless we may feel about what we've done. If you have trouble forgiving yourself, look straight into a mirror and slowly proclaim, "I forgive you." It may take awhile for you to look at yourself and mouth the words, really meaning it, but don't give up. As soon as you grant yourself forgiveness, you'll begin to heal from the emotional pain you've kept pent up inside of you.