Forgiveness 3.2: What Forgiveness Is Not

Resentment and Forgiveness 

To experience resentment is to relive an offense that injured you in the past. Broken down, the word “resent” means “re” (again) “sent” (feel or sense). 

Forgiveness is not...  

Condoning or excusing hurtful or insensitive behavior  

Forgetting or denying hurtful or insensitive behavior  

Suppressing anger and acting as if everything is fine  

What is forgiveness?   

Remembering that all of us are human; we are imperfect, prone to mistakes  

The art of releasing resentment… 

A shift of perception  

2 Corinthians 2:7-8 

The Message 

5-8 Now, regarding the one who started all this—the person in question who caused all this pain—I want you to know that I am not the one injured in this as much as, with a few exceptions, all of you. So I don’t want to come down too hard. What the majority of you agreed to as punishment is punishment enough. Now is the time to forgive this man and help him back on his feet. If all you do is pour on the guilt, you could very well drown him in it. My counsel now is to pour on the love.