What To Do When Forgiveness Is Hard To Offer

It can be hard to forgive others that have hurt you in one way or another. They often say that forgiveness will help you feel better but this may not happen at the time forgiveness is offered. Forgiving someone does not make the action that occured o.k. and sometimes the problem will not go entirely away either. Forgiveness is as much for us as it is for them. Our Heavenly Father offered us forgiveness... likewise we should offer forgiveness to others as well. Forgeiveness also gives us a chance to feel less upset and at peace.

What we Can Do When It Is Hard To Forgive

• Take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Then repeat.
• Try to think about why the other person might have done what he or she did.
• Walk away and come back when you’re not so angry.
• Tell the other person how you feel about what he or she did. Speak calmly, without yelling.
• Say, “I forgive you.”
• Do something kind for the person you’re upset with.
• Remember that there are times when you need to be forgiven. 
• Pray for help to forgive when it’s hard. 
• Remember that sometimes the person you forgive might not be sorry. But we can forgive anyway.
• If you’re upset with something you did, forgive yourself and try to do better next time.