Welcome to a new series I've entitled "The Journey to the Promised Land," with the latter half of that title as a metaphor for a place of self-discovery, personal freedom and going beyond normal limits.
The first step in that journey is forgiveness.
“He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love." This was penned by Martin Luther King Jr. in his book "Strength to Love" (1963).
When Jesus told the woman at the well, “…Neither do I condemn you,” (John 8:11), we witness liberating love in action. The woman walked away forgiven and free.
We forgive because it’s God’s command.
Forgiveness may be the most distinctly spiritual act we can perform, because it goes against our natural impulses; however, Jesus tied our forgiveness for others to His forgiveness for us: “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” (from the Lord’s Prayer, Matthew 6:12) The message is clear: if we don’t forgive others, we will not be forgiven. A sobering reality with eternal ramifications.
Once we grasp the enormity of what Jesus did when He forgave us our sins, forgiveness becomes a little easier, but sometimes the hurts inflicted are so deep and painful that we can only forgive through the power of the Holy Spirit working in our hearts. And, when this happens, we become witnesses to the saving, freeing power of God’s love. In the May 2026 edition of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association's "Decision" magazine, there is an article entitled "The Power of Forgiveness" by Bob Paulson. In it he outlines multiple powerful examples of forgiveness in recent history:
During WWII, when a Nazi informant betrayed Corrie ten Boom and her family, they were sent to a concentration camp. Only Corrie and her brother would survive. During her internment, Corrie learned who the informant was, and after the war, she found out he had been sentenced to death. She wrote him a letter, forgiving him for his betrayal. He wrote back, telling Corrie that her forgiveness in the name of Jesus resulted in him receiving Jesus as his Savior.
On Jan. 23, 1999, Graham Staines and his sons, Philip, 10, and Timothy, 8, were asleep in a vehicle in Odisha, India, after conducting open-air meetings in the village. A militant group doused their vehicle with gasoline, set it ablaze, and prevented them from escaping. The horrific killing garnered worldwide attention, but the act of forgiveness by Staines’ wife, Gladys, and daughter made the biggest impact. She told the magazine that she heard about a man in a neighboring state who received a tract and noted, “If this is the same Jesus that Gladys Staines believes in, I want to know Him.”
In 2015, after white supremacist Dylann Roof killed nine people during a Bible study at Mother Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C., the world witnessed another example of forgiveness. Although the killing was intentional and Roof maintained he wasn’t sorry for what he’d done, the families offered him forgiveness even as they described the pain of their losses.
“Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that crushed it.” (Mark Twain)
We forgive because it’s essential to our health and well-being.
Author Lewis B. Smedes attests to the emotional and psychological impact of our attachment to the one who has hurt us: “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.”
Emmet Fox, who is regarded as the spiritual godparent of Alcoholics Anonymous, likens the attachment to a mental chain. In his writings he asks why anyone would want to stay connected to the very person who hurt them and answers with how when we forgive them, the chain is broken and they no longer have any power over us.
Interestingly, we forgive, then, not for the person who hurt us, but for ourselves, because holding on to anger, hate and resentment is harmful to our well-being.
Forgiveness frees us from heavy sadness and anger. It stops old hurts from controlling our daily thoughts, and it restores inner peace and calm by building emotional strength for the future.
Forgiveness provides psychological and physical benefits as well, lowering anxiety and depression, reducing blood pressure and stress, improving sleep quality and boosting the immune system.
According to the Mayo Clinic, letting go of grudges fosters peace of mind, higher self-esteem and overall psychological well-being. “Forgiveness is not giving in; it’s letting go” is a popular counseling and self-help proverb.
Finally, we are called to love, but we don’t have to like the people who’ve hurt us. Yet in forgiving them, not only do we free ourselves and grow spiritually on our journey to the Promised Land, but we may point the way for them as well.
That is the power of forgiveness.
