It can be hard to forgive the unforgivable, but we must make an effort. We must attempt to forgive those offenses and things that keep us up at night or the things that cause us to become angry and bitter in life. Forgiving the unforgivable is not easy, but we must attempt to forgive for our own sake.
 Imagine Jesus hanging on the cross. He just suffered the most horrific beating. His hands and feet were nailed to the cross. Pierced in his side and all bloody and bruised, He asked God to forgive his offenders for what they did to him. Luke 23:34 Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.
As Jesus was hanging on the cross, He thought enough of his offenders to ask God for forgiveness on their behalf. He did not hold anger or bitterness for what they did to him, but He wanted forgiveness for them. Jesus sought forgiveness for things we would consider unforgivable.
His offenders never said sorry to him, nor did they request forgiveness for what they did. They beat him, mocked him, humiliated him, spit on him, and yet Jesus sought forgiveness for them.
Jesus gives us a perfect example of love and forgiveness on the cross. He knew that his abuser had no clue what they were doing, but he sought forgiveness for them. So as Christ forgave, so must we forgive.
So how can we show the love and forgiveness that Christ established on the cross?
We must first recognize that people don’t always know what they are doing when they hurt us but forgive anyway. Some offenses aren’t intentional, and some are but forgive either way. The example Jesus shows us is that we must forgive others- even if we never get an apology; even if they aren’t remorseful for what they have done, we must let it go.Â
Forgiveness is not for them but us. Holding on to un-forgiveness stifles our growth, and we become stagnant. Unforgiveness clouds our vision, and we lose focus. We become so focused on what offended us that we lose sight of the purpose behind the offense. The purpose propels us to the future.
When we walk in unforgiveness, we focus on the pain and not the purpose. Jesus’s example wants us to focus on the greater purpose of the pain. So we forgive others because forgiveness allows us to move forward toward our purpose and destiny.Â
Jesus was crucified for a purpose, even though his abusers didn’t know it at the time, but they helped fulfill God’s plan to give us everlasting life. Take hold of your future today and forgive so you can be released to move forward to your destiny.
