I’m sure most of you, at some point in your life, have heard the phrase, “Forgiveness is for you, not the other person.” I feel like I’m beginning to understand what this truly means.

We’re all born sinners. We step into this life, and our battle with the Devil begins. Our parents are supposed to give us the tools to win this battle, right? But what if your parents haven’t won their own battle? What if you didn’t have parents because the Devil made them give you up? What if you lost a parent to suicide, the Devil’s chokehold? What if the Devil had so tight of a grip on your parents…that they couldn’t see him pulling the strings?

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Now replace “your parents” or “parents” with the name of any individual you know.

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Every single person on this earth has their own battle with the Devil, a battle that can only be truly won with Jesus. If you know Jesus, you know He wants all to know Him. That’s the end goal. For every person left on this planet to know and praise Him. Forgiveness, particularly silent forgiveness, is a tool to help bring you closer to Him, so He can help you beat the Devil inside you.

Matthew 6:14-15

“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

Forgiveness is for you. What I mean by “silent forgiveness” is that you don’t have to go physically tell whoever it is, “I forgive you.” Silent forgiveness means you, in your heart, truly forgive this person that caused you pain, that caused you harm. At the same time, you’re forgiving yourself for allowing yourself to be harmed. Your Father knows your heart. He knows when you’ve done this. He also knows when you’re truly asking for His forgiveness, because His forgiveness is the only one that matters. He knows when you truly recognize your own sin. In order to recognize your own sin, you have to understand the rule book.

God and His rules are the only way to the peace you’re looking for. No human on this planet can provide that to you.