The Power of Forgiveness

The Power of Forgiveness Guest post by Bailey Barnes
I think the hardest thing I have ever had to do is forgive. 
It's even harder to forgive when you're not asked forgiveness. The one who hurt you didn't apologize and probably doesn't care if you forgive them.
Forgive them anyway.
In the recent months, I've learned a lot about the act of forgiving. I've been holding onto a lot of grudges. I've been holding on to all the fear, anger, pain, and heartache that people have caused me.
Recently, my friends and I were sitting in one of their dorm rooms crying over a situation that we could't control. Our hearts hurt and there was nothing we could do to fix them. 
So we prayed. We all sat in the chapel and prayed. It was in that moment that I decided that all my fears and frustrations were out of my control. I had to put my fear, anger, pain, and heartache into God's hands. 
Matthew 6: 14-15 says, "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Holding onto the sins committed against me isn't going to make me feel better. They don't care and it only makes me upset. 
Doing something to intentionally make them sad or make them "pay" for what they did to you won't solve anything or make it better. 
But forgiveness can make it better. 
Forgiving them means that they cannot get to you. Holding a grudge and being afraid means that they win. Show them that they can't break you. Forgiving is the ultimate sign of strength.  It's not easy, I know. I really struggle with forgiving, but I know it's necessary if I ever want to feel better. 
Romans 8 says, "The pain that you have been feeling cannot compare to the joy that is coming." It's difficult to let things go without an apology. Forgive anyway. 
It'll always get better.  
With love,  Bailey Barnes