Hebrews 12:14-15

“14. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

15. Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;”

…It costs too much to hold on to bitterness, anger, pain, hurt, betrayal, etc.

There is peace and freedom that can only be found in forgivenes.

There is a direct relation between peace and forgiveness. Bitterness automatically accompanies unforgiveness, we just do not recognize it all the time. Forgiveness allows us to move on with our lives, to always walk in peace, and to grow and be free. Unforgiveness breeds bitterness, which keeps us forever tied to hurtful (harmful) situations.

We have heard it many times before, and it is true, to forgive is for your benefit, not for the person who caused your hurt. God expects us to follow peace with all men. Not just with the people who are nice to us. True ministry also involves the ability to show the love of God to all. We cannot do this if we do not walk in forgiveness. We must be willing to forgive other as freely was we are forgiven by God. Walking in forgiveness paves the way for us to walk in peace.
Philippians 4:7

“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

We are now able to minister to the one(s) who caused our hurt. How? Because that root of bitterness has been cut off (through forgiveness) and is not able to spring up in our lives later to cause trouble. The love of God is now better able to shine through us.

We can have peace in the midst of hurtful or embarrassing situations. Even in those instances when outsiders have witnessed our hurt, walking in forgiveness–>peace, will bring glory to God. It will show the true power of God.

Keep in mind that sometimes hurtful situations arise in our lives so God has the opportunity to show us just how much room for growth (maturing in Christ) we still have.

The ability to forgive is going to require pray and walking by faith, and it will take practice. But understand, you can do it, you will succeed.