Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. 1 Corinthians 13:5 (AMPC)
People never feel like forgiving. Forgiveness is a choice, not a feeling, and it’s not a one-time decision either. Every time the resentment, anger or indignation returns, you have to choose to forgive.
As you repeatedly choose forgiveness instead of focusing on what upsets you, it gets easier. The pain associated with that person or event begins to dissipate, and you start the process toward freedom.
Of course, you don’t have to do any of this alone. God empowers you to forgive!
If you’ve given your life to Christ, you have the nature of God in you. His love is yours, and 1Corinthians 13:5–8 tells us what this love is like. This love doesn’t insist on its own rights or its own way. It’s not self-seeking, touchy or resentful. It chooses to pay no attention to a suffered wrong. “Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything[without weakening]. Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]” (1 Corinthians 13:7–8, AMPC).
This is the type of love God has for you and it’s also the type of love He empowers you to have for others. You can love people with the love that God has for us all, and you can forgive!
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