31 Ways to Live in Peace, Day 14

“Let go. Why do you cling to pain? There is nothing you can do about
the wrongs of yesterday. It is not yours to judge. Why hold on to the
very thing which keeps you from hope and love?”
~Leo Buscaglia

One last word on forgiveness...

Let It Go

"We all make mistakes.

We are only human after all.

There are minor mistakes that we make when we are children and teenagers that we like to call “learning experiences”. The consequences aren’t very high. We learn from those mistakes and move on with our life. No harm done.

Then there are mistakes we make that take a lifetime to get over. Mistakes that have major consequences for ourselves or others. Mistakes that hurt others unintentionally. Or that have great impact and we have to live with for the rest of our lives.

Whatever the mistake, great or small, sometimes it takes time to forgive ourselves. We may beat ourselves up over the situation. Dwelling on it. The mistake consumes us. We think it defines us. Forgiving others can be easier than forgiving ourselves..... 

Paul said, “I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.” Philippians 3:13 (NLT).

Is that what you have been doing? Or, have you been manipulated and controlled by your past mistakes or transgressions?

The key to letting go and forgiving yourself? Take Paul’s advice. Let it go. Give it all to God. Confess your sins, wrongdoings, and mistakes. He will forgive you, and you, in turn, can forgive yourself. You can stop living in the past and ultimately get on with living your future"....with peace.

~Excerpts from an article by Jeri Stunkard