there is no lasting joy in forgiveness if it doesn’t include forgiving myself. It is anything but total forgiveness if we forgive God and those who have hurt us, but are unable to forgive ourselves. It is as wrong as not forgiving others, because God loves us as much as he does others and will be as unhappy when we don’t forgive ourselves as when we hold a grudge against others. In a word: we matter to God. He wants our joy. He not only wants us to forgive ourselves but wants it urgently.
