Be compassionate and humble, not paying back evil for evil or insult for insult but, on the contrary, giving a blessing. 1 Peter 3:8—9

Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone in debt to us. And do not bring us into temptation. Luke 11:4

Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so also you must forgive. Above all, put on love—the perfect bond of unity. Colossians 3:13—14

Forgiveness means deferring the cause to Christ and deciding to be free of the ongoing burden of bitterness and blame.

If you forgive people their wrongdoing, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. Matthew 6:14

Those that we need to forgive most often grasp the least how much they've hurt us. If they understood and took responsibility, it wouldn't take the cross to forgive them. It could just happen over coffee...'Father I forgive them in Christ's name, for they don't understand what they did.

See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness springs up, causing trouble and by it, defiling many. Hebrews 12:15

May our memories of kindness be long and of offenses be short.

Withholding forgiveness until an offender understands or acknowledges the emotional pain they have inflicted is a subtle form of revenge. Why? Because it's hoping that the offender would hurt a little too, in order to understand. But this type of revenge robs you of your freedom and allows the offender to keep control of you. Dr. Chuck Lynch, I Should Forgive, but .

Please forgive your brothers' transgression and their sin—the wrong they caused you. Genesis 50:17

There's enormous energy required to carry grudges - enormous energy! And I'm getting too old to expend my energy that way, cause I think every person has a limited amount of energy. So I have given up all grudges.

If you hug to yourself any resentment against anybody else, you destroy the bridge by which God would come to you.