Forgive Those Who Offend You

“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” – Colossians 3:13

Forgiveness has become a strenuous task in our age. Judging from how wicked men have grown toward each other, it is now hard for people to forgive. The sole purpose and reason for many’s inability to forgive is that they keep more offences in their hearts. However, getting rid of these offences will amount to forgiveness. Even Jesus, the Son of God, was offended too. He was hurt., mistreated and even killed.

Nonetheless, He did not sin. He even committed His offenders to God. Being a Son of God, He had every right to retaliate. He could have fought back and used His authority to destroy people. He forgave those who offended Him.

Holding onto offences can be a heavy burden. It weighs down our hearts, strains relationships, and hinders our ability to move forward peacefully. On the other hand, forgiveness is a powerful act of liberation that allows us to release negativity and find peace. In this article, I want us to explore three ways to forgive those who offend us. Are you ready? Keep reading.

Guard Your Heart With All Diligence

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

Proverbs 4:23

The heart is actually the headquarters of life’s issues. Anything that enters a man’s heart through the senses has the potency to trigger an action from that man. What you give your heart to can affect you. Keeping offences in the heart will hurt you even more than your offender. In that state, the devil can even suggest thoughts of gruesome retaliation, even to the point of committing murder.

To guard your heart from these, you must commit it to God and diligently obey the scriptures whether people stand with you or not. This will fill your heart with the Word of God to the extent that it will no longer harbor any offence. You will not even be bothered by what someone does to you because the Word lives in your heart. Make a conscious effort to shield your heart from all these offences!

Don’t commit yourself to any man

“But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.

John 2:24-25

Offences often lead to bitterness when the people you trusted and committed to fail and disappoint you. No wonder the Bible admonishes us not to trust men.

It is wise not to commit yourself to people to guard your heart from disappointment. Submitting to another man (especially in ministry or any facet of life) is not wrong, but solely relying on and depending on him is an error.

In all your submissions, see God as the ultimate and final source of everything. What is bothering you? Take that burden to God. Tell God your problems. How would you even know if that man you’re talking to can help and not use it against you? Take it to God, dear one. Pray about that situation. Seek the face of God on that issue. I’m sure you won’t be bothered when a man cannot provide for your needs; after all, you are not relying on a man. Don’t rely so much on people.

Remember how Christ forgave you

Forgiveness is often misunderstood as simply condoning the offence or forgetting it ever happened. True forgiveness is a conscious decision to release the resentment, anger, and hurt associated with the offence. It’s about letting go of the desire to see the offender punished or to hold the offence against them. Forgiveness is not always easy, especially for deep wounds or repeated violations.

The Bible encourages us to be kind to each other and to forgive those who offend us. In that same verse, Colossians 3:13, the Bible adds, “… forgive as the Lord forgave you.” We, as believers, have first been forgiven by our Father. We did not even deserve this from Him, yet He chose to let go of our shortcomings.

In this same light, God expects you also to forgive those who offend you. Remember how Jesus died for you. That love still flows in your heart. You are a child of God. The Father’s love inhabits your heart. Refuse to harbour offences. Don’t keep the wrongs that people do against you. See yourself in a place of love and forgiveness. Forgive people, even when they do not deserve it. Doing this shows who you truly are in the Lord. Even as the Lord forgave you, forgive freely.