Forgiveness plays an important role in our lives, yet it is often misunderstood. It is not always easy. But it is always worth it. The benefits of forgiveness are many and they can have a profound impact on our lives. Here are some benefits of forgiveness and why it is so important:
- First, forgiveness can lead to healing. When we forgive someone, we are letting go of the anger, hurt, and resentment that we feel. This can lead to a physical and emotional release that can help us to feel better and start to heal.
- Second, forgiveness can lead to improved relationships. When we forgive someone, we are removing the barriers that stand between us. This can lead to increased communication and understanding. We can also build trust and intimacy with the person we have forgiven.
- Third, forgiveness can lead to personal growth. Forgiveness is an act of compassion and it can help us to develop as people. It can also lead to increased self-awareness and a greater sense of our own strength.
- Fourth, forgiveness can lead to a sense of peace. When we forgive someone, we are letting go of the pain and hurt they caused us. This can lead to a sense of inner peace and calm.
All of these benefits of forgiveness make it clear that it is an important and influential act. If we can learn to forgive, we can improve our lives in so many ways. It is important to remember that repentance is not a one-time event, but a continuous journey that should be undertaken on a daily basis.
I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice.
– Abraham Lincoln
Forgiveness allows us to move on and start new lives, which is the best way to heal any wounds that may have been inflicted.
Forgiveness Quotes
Forgiveness is a difficult thing to practice, but it is essential for a healthy life. I will share some of my favorite quotes on forgiveness. I hope that these quotes will inspire you to forgive those who have hurt you in the past.
- Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future. – Paul Lewis Boese
- Forgiveness is for you–not the other person. It’s something you do inside yourself that you feel in your body and heart that releases you from your past and frees you to live life fully. – Barbara J. Hunt
- He that cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass if he would ever reach heaven; for everyone has need to be forgiven. – George Herbert
- Forgive, forget. Bear with the faults of others as you would have them bear with yours. – Phillip Brooks
- Forgiveness is healing… especially forgiving yourself. – Alyson Noel
- Throughout life people will make you mad, disrespect you, and treat you bad. Let God deal with the things they do, because hate in your heart will consume you too. – Will Smith
- Forgiveness is a reflection of loving yourself enough to move on. – Dr. Steve Maraboli
- A heart filled with anger has no room for love. – Joan Lunden
- But remember that forgiveness too is a power. To beg for it is a power, and to withhold or bestow it is a power, perhaps the greatest. – Margaret Atwood
- Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door of resentment and the handcuffs of hatred. It is a power that breaks the chains of bitterness and the shackles of selfishness. – Corrie Ten Boom
- I believe forgiveness is the best form of love in any relationship. It takes a strong person to say they’re sorry and an even stronger person to forgive. – Yolanda Hadid
- I’m not perfect. Remember that and try to forgive me when I fail you. – Elizabeth Lowell
- The lesson is that you can still make mistakes and be forgiven. – Robert Downey Jr.
- It’s one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, to forgive. Forgive everybody. – Maya Angelou
- Don’t ever underestimate the power of forgiveness. I’ve seen it free people. I’ve seen it lift burdens that had weighed them down and kept them from moving on. – Buffy Andrews
- Anger begets more anger, and forgiveness and love lead to more forgiveness and love. – Mahavira
- The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget. – Thomas Szasz
- As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison. – Nelson Mandela
- It’s not an easy journey, to get to a place where you forgive people. But it is such a powerful place because it frees you. – Tyler Perry
- Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it. – Mark Twain
- Mistakes are always forgivable if one has the courage to admit them. – Bruce Lee
- To err is human; to forgive, divine. – Alexander Pope
- Blame keeps wounds open. Only forgiveness heals. – Thomas S. Manson
- Forgiveness is a sign that the person who has wronged you means more to you than the wrong they have dealt. – Ben Greenhalgh
- All major religious traditions carry basically the same message: that is love, compassion and forgiveness. The important thing is they should be part of our daily lives. – Dalai Lama XIV
- The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. – Mahatma Gandhi
- Slide the weight from your shoulders and move forward. You are afraid you might forget, but you never will. You will forgive and remember. – Barbara Kingsolver
- True forgiveness is not an action after the fact. It is an attitude with which you enter each moment. – David Ridge
- Anger makes you smaller, while forgiveness forces you to grow beyond what you were. – Cherie Carter-Scott
- To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you. – Lewis B. Smedes
- A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers. – Robert Quillen
- Before we can forgive one another, we have to understand one another. – Emma Goldman
- It’s not just other people we need to forgive. We also need to forgive ourselves. For all the things we didn’t do. All the things we should have done. – Mitch Albom
- We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. – Martin Luther King
- Forgiveness is the remission of sins. For it is by this that what has been lost, and was found, is saved from being lost again. – Saint Augustine
- True forgiveness is when you can say, ‘Thank you for that experience.’ – Oprah Winfrey
- Your past may be painful, yet you must forgive, move on, and thank God for it. Your past has become a learning experience for you to become a better person and father. – Martin Henderson
- Forgiveness is a funny thing. It warms the heart and cools the sting. – William Arthur Ward
- By having a forgiving attitude, you can change your life and the lives of the people you care about most. – Kathie M. Thomson
- Forgiveness is not weak. It takes courage to face and overcome powerful emotions. – Desmond Tutu
- Because I make mistakes, I know others do too. I’ve found when I give forgiveness, it’s me–not the other person–who benefits. – Ellen Miller
- The remedy for life’s broken pieces is not classes, workshops, or books. Don’t try to heal the broken pieces. Just forgive. – Iyanla Vanzant
- Acceptance and tolerance and forgiveness; those are life-altering lessons. – Jessica Lange
- When one forgives, two souls are set free. – Anonymous
- The man who opts for revenge should dig two graves. – Chinese Proverb
- Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. – Buddha
- Forgotten is forgiven. – Scott Fitzgerald
- Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much. – Oscar Wilde
- If we really want to love, we must learn how to forgive. – Mother Teresa
- Let’s shake free this gravity of judgment, and fly high on the wings of forgiveness. – India.Arie
- When you choose to forgive those who have hurt you, you take away their power. – Anonymous
- Let us forgive each other–only then will we live in peace. – Leo Tolstoy
- Never forget the three powerful resources you always have available to you: love, prayer, and forgiveness. – H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
- Once a woman has forgiven her man, she must not reheat his sins for breakfast. – Marlene Dietrich
- You’ll never know how strong your heart is until you learn to forgive who broke it. – Anonymous
- Forgive others, not because they deserve forgiveness but because you deserve peace. – Jonathan Lockwood Huie
- You cannot forgive just once; forgiveness is a daily practice. – Sonia Rumzi
- Forgiveness is the final form of love. – Reinhold Niebuhr
- Forgiveness is the key to action and freedom. – Hannah Arendt
- One forgives to the degree that one loves. – François de La Rochefoucauld
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Conclusion
Forgiveness is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves and for others. It allows us to move on from the past, and it can help us feel better about ourselves and how we are feeling.
If you have ever been hurt by someone else, or if you have felt like you don’t deserve forgiveness, there are ways to get it. There are books, articles, and therapists out there who can help you find a way to forgive yourself.