We all have things we need to let go.    That remark made by someone.  The backhanded compliment.  The "look."  

There is even the chance we know what the Bible says about it.  

We just can't.  For some reason we allow it to gnaw away at our insides.  We allow it to make us sick.  To make us so upset we cannot stand to be in the same room as the "offender."

What if we let them off the hook?  I'm not saying let them get away with the offense.  I'm saying let them off your hook.  Let God put them on His hook.  You see, when we have someone in a death grip, no one else can deal with them, including God.

Many have told me over the years that forgiveness is not the problem, but forgetting the offense is.  My dear, dear, reader, if you cannot stand to be near the one who has harmed you,  you have not yet forgiven.

The phrase that comes next is usually "but if you only knew what they did to me."   It's probably far worse than the things we have done... you know, the things we did that put Jesus on the cross.  I'm sure your offender did something more outrageous.  More hideous.  More hurtful than the sins we committed Jesus had to pay for on our behalf.  I'm sure your pain is worse.

If we truly want to be Christ-like, we need to take the pain... all of it... and forget it.  Forgive it.  Not stash it away to be pulled out when it is convenient to be used as a weapon.  Set it aside and let it be, forever.  

It's not an option.  It's about being the same person we say we are.  

The saddest part about unforgiveness is that when we make the choice to not forgive someone, we seal our own fate.  We have made the choice to have our own sins held over our head by Jesus.  He doesn't have a choice.  The Bible says we need to forgive in order to be forgiven.  There is no alternate route.  No way around this.

Imagine if Jesus couldn't be around you because of something you did.  He said he forgave, but He wanted nothing to do with you, what would you think?  Give me another chance?  Have mercy?   Please Jesus, don't act like me.  

It doesn't matter who it is... your spouse, your friend, a co-worker, or an in-law... they are all deserving of forgiveness just as you are deserving of it from God.  

God's way of dealing with someone who mistreated you is so much better than anything you can do.  God's way is just.  Let your offender off the hook.  And let God's hook take care of it.

It needs to be done.  Don't put it off one more day.