Forgiveness

"Yeah, that’s easy for him to say.”That’s what I thought when I first heard my pastor say that I had to forgive my enemies. I was still a teen, but nurtured a strong hatred against a certain person whom I blamed for the breakup of my parents’ marriage.I used to imagine and plan in my mind how I would hurt this person when I got older how I would make sure this person would pay for messing with my family. Forgiveness was not an option for me at that time. I wanted justice. Revenge even.What I didn’t realise at the time was that I was setting myself up to get into a bigger mess in my life. I was blinded by my anger.That’s what grudges do to you. They stir up your emotions and don’t let you think through the consequences of your actions.Eventually, I reluctantly agreed that my pastor was right. I had to let it go. But how? How could I put all that happened behind me? How could I look that person in the face again? How to stop the pain, the anger, and the hatred?The truths taught in this book gave me the tools to do it. Granted, it was a process. It took me a lot of praying and bending of my will to do God’s will. But after a few months, I was free at last.I am confident that if you meditate on the things you’ll learn here, you too will be able to let go of any grudges, bitterness, or resentment you may have in your heart against anyone. And when you do, you’ll realise that forgiving is the smartest—if not the easiest—thing you can do when somebody hurts you.Bishop Renato Cardoso