Forgiveness is a widely discussed topic, yet after years of studying the Word, searching scripture on forgiveness, meditating on examples in the Bible, reading countless books, and listening to numerous sermons, I realized that I hadn’t truly forgiven or released many people from my heart. That’s why I felt compelled to write this article—to share my journey and insights on what genuine forgiveness looks like. In my mind, I thought I had, but the Holy Spirit showed me there was so much more. As I yielded to the Holy Spirit and asked Him to reveal those I still needed to forgive, He showed me specific events where I had held onto unforgiveness, hurt, pain, offense, or fear. Often, I needed to forgive myself. When we ask God for forgiveness, He does it without hesitation, yet we frequently struggle to release ourselves from guilt, shame, and other negative emotions. It’s almost like we tell ourselves we need to suffer for what we did, but Jesus took all condemnation on the cross, so we d...
