It is good to forgive others. Christianity and a few other religions (e.g. Hinduism, Buddhism) teach this principle. Questions to consider.

• What is it?
• Why should we do it?
• What are the consequences for the offender?
• What are the consequences for those who were wronged?

To forgive means to let go of something negative or bad. It means to accept what has happened and not blame the person anymore for the wrong that they have committed. It does not mean we agree with what the person did. In fact, we might very well think they did something evil. However, we do not blame them anymore. Why? It’s because we believe that God has paid the price for their sins, as well as ours. What if the person does not say they are sorry or even do not think they did anything wrong? To forgive means we do not blame them anymore no matter what type of responsibility they ignore. Their lack of responsibility is their problem. Our problem is we have the challenge of forgiving them. We have the challenge of forgiving someone that does not merit or deserve forgiveness. However, we still do it. We remain their friend.

We forgive the offender because we want to have peace of mind. We forgive them because God has commanded us to forgive everyone. We forgive the offender because we want God to forgive us of our sins too. We forgive because it is the Christian way of life. We forgive because it is healthy for our body, mind, and spirit. When we do not forgive, we are hurting ourselves. What about the offender? The offender, who is unrepentant, goes on in their life without fully enjoying the true friendship they might have previously had with the offended. However, both lose out in an eternal friendship–whether it be marriage or the joy of knowing that true love between people forgives all offenses. True love or charity is a gift from God. We can only enjoy this gift by forgiving one another.

Homeschoolers/Parents/Educators: Sketch/color an illustration. Theme: forgive. Read the story “Sermon on the Mount” in Learning to Read: New Testament Stories (audiobook/Kindle/paperback). Finish this sentence: I want to forgive… Explain why it is good to forgive others and to be forgiven. Describe how you feel when you forgive others. (Skills: identify, comprehend, critical thinking, creativity)