Forgiveness is difficult because it requires compassion and the willingness to let go. We see a lot of the opposite of forgiveness in today’s society and a lot of revenge and hatred.

Forgiveness is a decision to accept God’s grace, to let go of resentment due to sins committed against one, and to express this by extending loving mercy to those who have sinned against you. The essence of forgiveness, by God’s standards, is the giving of mercy. Mercy means to treat others better then they deserve, because of the harm that they have caused you.

Forgiveness does not come naturally, but as a Christian I believe the Lord changes hearts with the reminder that He has forgiven an overwhelming debt of sin through the shedding of His Son’s Blood Jesus Christ on Calvary’s cross.  The Bible teaches me that without the shedding of Jesus Christ’s blood there is no remission of sins” (Hebrews 9:22).

When Jesus was hanging on the cross, not once did His emotions guide Him to forgive the entire world. He just forgave. If Jesus had relied on his emotions, well let’s just say we would be in a dilemma. We would have no example on how to forgive those who have harmed us, and we would would live in a chaotic state of mind with no limits on how to treat others.

I see forgiveness as logical, not emotional. If you forgive out of your emotions, then you never truly forgive, because it will depend on how you are feeling at the time. People think they need to feel something in order to know that they are over an issue. But forgiveness isn’t about feeling, it’s about thinking and knowing to let go of something that was harmful. It is not an emotion; it is a state of mind.

If forgiveness is used logically, it becomes a stronghold in the life of the person who decides to forgive. Thinking about it logically allows you to think clearly, to examine the situation, and to come to the conclusion that it is better to walk away from a situation that has caused you not to function properly in your daily life.

We need forgiveness in today’s society in order to live together with each other. We need to settle our differences and learn how to forgive and love one another as Christ showed us.

Dr. Sheila C. Carpenter is the author of  “The Christian Walk: The Struggle to Remain on the Path” and “Forgive Me,” published by Sterlinghouse Publishing. and available at Barnes & Noble, Barnes & Nobles.com, Amazon.com and Sterlinghousepublisher.com Follow Dr. Sheila C. Carpenter on Twitter @IMTHEDR or on Facebook.