Do you think you have really forgiven someone? "How do you feel when you hear someone say something nice about that person?" If that just smacked you between the eyes then maybe you are bitter and need to forgive them again.
I have learned, most of the time, to pray for that person to be blessed. When I do this I feel the bittnerness turns to sorrow for that person. I have to do this because if I don't forgive someone then God won't forgive me. Matthew 6: 15, "But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Sometimes I have to forgive over and over! God knows how hard this is and believe He honors us for trying.
Sometimes we hold onto grudges because we don't think someone is worthy of being forgiven. True. None of us are. Romans 3: 23, "...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." When people continue to be mean, disrespectful, prideful, etc over and over we don't think they deserve forgiveness. We have to forgive over and over. Matthew 18: 22, "Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times." God died for us so that we could live and have the faith to forgive one another, no matter the hardships it may bring to us.
It's not just about us being forgiven by God's grace but we are called to give that forgiving grace to others!
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