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Forgiveness is a subject that frankly can be very confusing for a Christian. We not only perceive forgiveness based on our upbringing, but many Christians are told to follow the example of forgiveness toward others Christ exhibited on the cross. Is Christ’s example of forgiveness the only one we should follow? If I were to ask what forgiveness means to you, you might respond with one of the following statements: ?To forget about what someone has done to me. I won’t approach them or tell anyone else about the incident but just let it go. ?To take someone to a court of law who somehow injured me. Once the case has been settled, then I’ll forgive them. ?To take revenge on someone who has done me wrong. Once I have enacted retribution, then I’ll forgive them. Have you ever forgiven someone in any one of these ways? As a Christian, did you ever wonder if Scripture supported how you handled the situation? Understanding this topic from a biblical perspective will help us understand how to address issues that involve situations in which we’ve been hurt by others mentally, emotionally, and physically. Before we look at different scenarios in the Bible in which forgiveness was applied, I’d like to leave you with a personal story about my upbringing and how forgiveness came into play at some point. Being an only child, I received much verbal abuse from my father. He was a man of many talents, having been a real estate broker, carpenter, machine shop worker, and an owner of various types of businesses (e.g., clothing stores, restaurants, house merchandise pickers, etc.). Over time, he purchased a house, owned a nice car, and lived the American dream. However, he needed more patience when trying to teach me carpentry skills. I was a slow learner, which he couldn’t tolerate. Whenever I’d make a mistake or take too long hammering a nail in a piece of wood, I’d be verbally ridiculed. This caused me to withdraw from wanting to be in his presence. In my early high school years, I worked part-time for my hometown newspaper. During my senior year, I left this position and secured a part-time job working as a printer for a local retail chain. At this time, my father purchased a small Spa & Grille business and demanded that I work for him. This marked the beginning of our tumultuous relationship. This required me to take menu orders from people who purchased food from the grill or groceries from the shelves. I didn’t enjoy either, let alone manage a small restaurant. There were days when I was left alone to cook, wash dishes, clean, and close up the restaurant. It seemed like I could never please him as far as my job performance was concerned. I was criticized quite often. I got to a point where I just became resigned to expecting it. This critique affected me in everything I did. As a result, I had very low self-esteem in any endeavor, including my school work and social relationships. Eventually, I went to college while continuing to work for my father after school hours. On one particular day, there was a parade passing by the restaurant. I’d just left work and decided to follow it to where it ended, which was at the city’s town hall. In the distance, I heard a loud voice over a loudspeaker. I walked toward where the noise came from and saw a crowd gathering around. I witnessed a young man discussing the idea that God wants to change people’s lives. He said this inward change could only come when someone repents of their sins to God the Father and believes in His Son Jesus as to who He is and what He has accomplished. This confused me because I was raised in my family’s faith and already believed in Jesus as one of the members of the Trinity. Unexpectedly, I was approached by one of the members of the group, who invited me to attend their next meeting. I have to admit that I desired a life change of direction. So, I decided to attend their next gathering. While there, one of the men presented a spiritual message I didn’t understand. After this, he talked about how God wants to come into our lives personally and make us entirely new by giving us His nature. He reiterated the need to repent of our sins and believe in Jesus and added that if anyone responds to this pronouncement known as the gospel, one of the members of the Trinity called the Holy Spirit would come inside their body and provide them with spiritual blessings, one of which is a guarantee of eternal life with God. So, I confessed I was a sinner and expressed belief in the person and work of Christ. And then something incredible happened. I was filled with an immeasurable saturation of joy and peace. Soon after that, I attended a weekly worship service and Bible study, learning about the truths of the faith and the spiritual blessings that I received at salvation. I forgave my father as I understood who I was in Christ and how to think His thoughts. This idea of forgiveness meant I’d no longer be occupied with his abusive attitude toward me, but rather, I’d focus on certain Scriptures that built me up in my new image in Christ. I began to understand that my successes or failures, especially the verbal abuse from my dad, etc., prepared my heart to respond to God’s invitation to salvation. As time went on, eventually, I got married and went to Bible school, during which time my wife got pregnant and had a baby boy. After graduation, I became the principal of an affiliated Christian Day school in a nearby state. Then, the unexpected happened. One particular Sunday morning, my father and mother arrived unannounced at my residence to see their grandson. While they were with us, I invited them to attend the early morning Sunday service, which they did. After the pastor preached the sermon, he proceeded to proclaim the gospel of repentance and belief. They stayed with us a little longer after they departed from the church festivities and then left to return home. The following Sunday morning began with my family’s usual attendance at church. As my wife and I walked in and proceeded to sit in the back of the chapel as music was being played from the stage area, I couldn’t believe my eyes. My father and mother stood in the front row, clapping and singing. I’ve never seen them both happily engaged in church. Something had happened to them, as I believe what transpired in my life years earlier, i.e., that God had come into their lives. Unfortunately, my dad died of cancer a short time later, but I have to admit I’ll never forget that day. And what I learned through it all is this. We don’t have to like what people have said or done to us, but we don’t have to let that abuse be what defines us for the rest of our lives. God wants to make us brand new, and that can only happen if we confess that we’re a sinner and profess with our mouth belief in his Son. And when we learn how to grow spiritually and apply these principles, He’ll use us as an example of His love toward others. Who knows, God might bring back into our lives those who’ve mistreated us so that we can extend to them the same love that was offered to us when we were dead in our sins.