Forgive to give yourself peace

One of the most powerful bible verses sounds so simple, but when you put it to work it has the power to change your life.

"Love one another as I have loved you" - John 13:34.

This verse came to me right before a rough breakup. I was thinking about the things I would get upset about, or the things I couldn't forgive. That's when it hit me, we have to love each other the way He has loved us. Mainly with forgiveness.

"Forgive other not because they deserve forgiveness but because you deserve peace" - Rafiki Meditating - Lion King

Forgiving someone can be the hardest thing you do. You may not even realize they have truly hurt you until you can't get past what they did. A lot of times we can't forgive because we had no control of the situation and as humans that scares us, we need to be in control. The trouble with all of this is is that you can't move forward in life if the past is holding you back.

"The worst thing you can do is become cold because of past experiences and ruin your future experiences" -Unknown

If as a child you went through a rough upbringing and your parents weren't the greatest, why wouldn't you want to strive for a better life for your future? Why would you just sit and blame all of your problems on them and the live you had before? You are in the present and you have the power to live your life the way you want to. Instead of saying you don't want to be like your parents, put your words into actions. Don't dwell on the things you unfortunately can't change, rather forgive and live your life the way you want to see it.

Forgiving is truly one of the hardest things a person has to do, but once you forgive you can be at peace. It doesn't mean the other person is right, or you will be fully healed, but it does mean you can start to have peace in the situation.