If you do not forgive, you are only sentencing yourself to prison. So forgive and receive the freedom that forgiveness brings.
Many feel that to forgive means to forget. That is not true. If you forget, all you have done is forgotten. Forgiveness takes place when you know the wrong that has been done and you show mercy and do not hold it against the one who has wronged you. This will not undo the pain and hurt that was caused by the wrong acts of the other. It just means that you are no longer carrying the burden of being their judge. Forgiving someone that has wronged you also does not mean that they will change or even be sorry for what they have done, and that you will continue to let this other person hurt you. You are free to love and be healed. What they do with the forgiveness offered to them is up to them. Some may ever think that they have ever done anything wrong. Your forgiving them will not change this. Still forgive them and pray for their salvation, so that they can experience the One Who came to forgive all who will receive Him, Jesus Christ the Author of Love and Forgiveness!
emotionalpeace 
This is so true and the idea of re-opening ourselves to more-of-the-same keeps so many people from letting go of a grudge and forgiving. For the injured party, forgiveness means “It is finished.” the suffering is over and the door is open to restoration if the other party does their part and repents. Relationships are made of two, not one and both parities have to do their part for the relationship to be healthy. In my personal life, this was a very tough place to come to but I’m not sorry for following God’s pattern in Christ.
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Pam, thank you for sharing your insight, and I am thankful that you are following Jesus, and that we are sisters in Christ.
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Awww…me too, Julie. I lost my entire family of origin when I faced the sexual abuse in my past. Sisters in Christ mean so much to me.:0)
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@Joy,
I didn’t get that far…only a select few knew and they asked me to remain silent. That’s why I started writing the memoir. It’s time to break the memories of bondage.
But, last year God brought me to my knees to forgive…the writing that came from that was liberating.
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Reblogged this on emotionalpeace.
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Ha…very nice…it was almost the same thought!
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my thought exactly
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Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
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Good point with the analogy of the prison guard.
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thanks it was not the best picture of me but it was taken when I had been a guard.
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Wow I was wondering if that was you! So you know first hand then the illustration used!!! I heard in the past from friends who were in the Marines with me but moved on to work in jails and prison that sometimes one feel like its serving time with the inmates…I supposed your experienced confirmed that?
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I would have to agree with them on that.
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