Somewhere in ever persons life someone comes along and mistreats you so badly that you eventually hate them. What does God say about hatred? In 1 John 3:15 God says: “Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.”
God wants us to forgive the people that have done us wrong just like God forgives us our sins. When you hate someone and simply refuse to forgive them you are binding this dark cloud to your heart, because when you think of them and how much you hate them, you feel angry and frustrated. And you know, the best of it all is the fact that they don’t even know how much you are sitting there with your hatred, working yourself up, they simply go on with their lives not knowing how dark your heart is getting.
If someone has treated you badly you should not feel responsible for punishing them or getting back at them. It is not for you to judge and revenge is a terrible sin. Do you think you doing any better than that person if you choose to take revenge? Think about Jesus who was crucified and had to take all that pain and suffering for only telling the truth!
On that cross, at the point of dying, looking down at the men that has tortured him, laughing and spitting in his face, Jesus said: “God forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” So if God could forgive the men that have treated him so horribly, why is it so hard for you to forgive those that have treated you wrong?
To forgive does not necessarily mean to forget, you never will, but let go of the hate, it is only doing you harm. How could you expect God to forgive you if you can not forgive another? Like a wise man once said: “hatred is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.”
Miryna Kruger
