The Three Hardest Words to Say: "I Forgive You"

Why is it so difficult to forgive someone who has offended you? The offender may have hurt you to the core of your being, are 100% at fault for the offense, and could care less about giving you an "owed" apology. As expected, emotionally you cannot fathom the idea of forgiving the offender, let alone say, "I forgive you." However, the moment you choose to not offer forgiveness you unwittingly step into an invisible, fortified, and impenetrable prison--a flawless trap designed by Satan. Part of Satan's deception is keeping you so focused on the offense that you are totally unaware of the state of your current captivity within this prison. However those around you can clearly see the signs of your captivity: bitterness, resentment, anger, hatred, hostility, etc. All of these are symptoms of harboring unforgiveness.

Many fail to remember the price that Jesus paid for them so that their sins could be forgiven and have become less inclined to forgive the common man, and even their own family members. Jesus said, "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matthew 6:14-15)." Harboring unforgiveness stops you from receiving the wonderful blessings that God has in store for you. If you are unwilling to grant forgiveness, regardless of whether it is asked for, you are hindering your relationship with God, which is the exact outcome that Satan desires from the trap he set before you. You should walk in love no matter what the emotional devastation encountered--the price that Jesus Christ paid for you on the cross outweighs any emotional injury you have experienced.

Few people realize the importance of how they react to being wronged. You have to make a conscience decision not to become offended when someone hurts you. It may sound silly, but soon after the offense takes place say aloud, "I will not be offended, no matter how much I'm hurt. I will not be offended." When the disciples asked Jesus what would be the signs of His return, He answered, "...Many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another" (Matthew 24:10). As time quickly races towards Christ return, Satan is ramping up his tactics to draw mankind away from the Lord. Sadly, this withdrawal from the presence of the God has resulted in a cruel and insensitive society, more so due to the destructive initiative within our culture to remove God who is love (1 John 4:8). Hate and bitterness can quickly fill the void in the absence of love.

Satan is very real. He uses deception to destroy you and the sly trickery he implements makes for an easy trap. Basically, in choosing not to forgive, he gets you do all the hard work by building walls of "protection" around your self-imposed captivity. Apostle Paul warned believers of Satan's plan of attack and informed them that during their "imprisonment" perhaps God would grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil (2^nd Timothy 2:25-26). Don't be a willing participant in the robbing of the joy and blessings that God has planned for your life.

In his bestselling transformational book, The Bait of Satan, John Bevere exposes a diabolical and deadly tactic that Satan uses to disrupt and sever one's blessings from God. Once people accept "the bait" (chose to become offended) they have unintentionally opened the door to feeling victimized. Bevere explained that once you obtain a victim mentality, pride robs you of the ability to forgive. He states, "Because you believe you are innocent and falsely accused, you hold back forgiveness. Just because you were mistreated, you do not have permission to hold onto an offense." Holding grudges hardens your heart. When you harden your heart, you can't hear God voice--you only hear your own thoughts, like "How could they do that to me?" "Don't they realize how much they hurt me?" or "I'll never forgive them." Such questions and statements only make the bars on your self-imposed prison stronger, making it harder for you to get out. Psalms 119:165 reads, "Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them. (KJV)" Dakes Annotated Bible expounds on the Psalms scripture: "True obedience to God's Word will keep any man from being offended. God not only demands that one live free from being offended, but that he offend no man (Matthew 5:29-30, 13:41)."

In Bevere's book, he offers those the opportunity to be free from the deadly trap of offense and shares a prayer guideline to be read aloud by those still harboring unforgiveness:

Father, in the name of Jesus, I acknowledge that I have sinned against You by not forgiving those who have offended me. I repent of this and ask Your forgiveness. I also acknowledge my inability to forgive them apart from You. Therefore, from my heart I choose to forgive [Insert their names--release each one individually.] I bring under the blood of Jesus all that they have done wrong to me. They no longer owe me anything. I remit their sins against me. Heavenly Father, as my Lord Jesus asked You to forgive those who had sinned against Him, I pray that Your forgiveness will come to those who have sinned against me. I ask that You will bless them and lead them into a closer relationship with You. Amen.

Use the key of forgiveness to unlock the door of the prison that you built for yourself. Once you are free, you will no longer feel burdened. You may need to forgive yourself too. Undoubtedly, you will realize how much time has been wasted due to the fact you did not use the forgiveness key--which was in your possession all along. It is easier said than done, but let God take care of those who have hurt you. Don't let pain, bitterness, resentment, and anger consume the essence of your life. Vengeance is Mine, says the Lord. He will repay (Romans 12:19). Trust in God and reject bitterness in your life. Don't become a victim of Satan's plan. No matter the cost, trust in the Lord for "If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)"