Forgiving What You Can't Forget: Discover How to Move On, Make Peace with Painful Memories, and Create a Life That’s Beautiful Again

by Lysa TerKeurst

Sometimes what hinders us from wanting to forgive is that we feel like we are the good ones. We are the ones who followed the rules, did what was expected of us, and made good choices . . . yet we got hurt because the other person didn’t make good choices. But only God knows the whole story of everything our offender has suffered that got them into such a bad place to make the choices they made. That’s not an excuse for what they did. And, trust me, I know to write this, because I myself have struggled through this and discovered something that’s not fun: if we feel we are better than someone else, it will be almost impossible to forgive them. However, if we remember we have been forgiven of much, we will be more likely to forgive much. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (Matthew 7:1–2)