Forgiveness.
Hey y’all! It’s your girl Julie, back with another segment of “Salty & Lit,” and in today’s post, we’re going to be talking about forgiveness. Let’s pray.
Dear Heavenly Father, You are so good. Thank You for teaching us about forgiveness. Help us to walk in forgiveness daily. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
There are a few things that I want to mention about forgiveness. First, forgiveness means to “to cease to feel resentment against (an offender)” (Merriam-Webster, 2026). A thing that I’ve realized is forgiveness is a choice. It’s not a feeling and can’t be led by feelings because our feelings make up stories sometimes. Forgiveness biblically means you’re releasing the person from a debt you think they owe and surrendering it to God. As Christians, we have a God who sees what’s been done to us, and He will provide justice in due time.
However, there is a problem when we choose not to forgive, especially as Christians. There’s a story about an unjust servant, who received forgiveness from his master but does not provide forgiveness to his servant in Matthew 18:21-35 (“Matthew 18 ESV - Who Is the Greatest? - At the Time the - Bible Gateway,” 2026).
Friend, forgiveness is important because it keeps us from receiving the wrath of God. The servant who did not forgive his servant was thrown in jail until his debt was repaid, and we are told this the “Heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart” (Matthew 18:35, ESV).
What does this mean? We are encouraged, even commanded, to forgive to avoid punishment from God.
The unforgiving servant had a consequence for his actions, and we have a lesson to learn from it. God will give us consequences if we don’t follow His commands to forgive. You see, God forgave us of so many things, so it would behoove us to not extend that forgiveness to others because they hurt us. You see God forgave, so as a result of forgiveness we received, we can extend that to others, and when you forgive, it liberates you.
Something I’ve been hearing that is that forgiveness is freeing. It allows you to move forward. That is because it frees you from the debt of thinking what the person did to you must provide. When you forgive, you’re letting God know, “I surrender, and it’s in Your hands now.” Forgiveness lets someone know that they’re not bound to that thing or person anymore.
So friend, forgiveness matters, and I pray you see it from God’s perspective.
Note: I am not saying to ignore the wrongs that someone has done to you, yet God sees what’s going on and wants you to forgive to release others from that debt.
Let’s pray.
Dear Heavenly Father, You are Sovereign. You know the things we’ve experienced, and we ask for help in this moment. For times, we haven’t forgiven, we confess and repent (turn away). Help us to forgive, remembering Your sacrifice to help us receive Your forgiveness. Teach us Your way Lord. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Works Cited
"forgive." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, 2026.
Web. 16 October 2026.
“Matthew 18 ESV - Who Is the Greatest? - At the Time the - Bible Gateway.” Bible Gateway, www.biblegateway.com/passage/?
search=Matthew+18&version=ESV. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.
