How do we Forgive, when we Don’t want to?

Last week I wrote about the benefits of forgiving, and suggested that the best time to forgive, is straight away.
But, how can we do this, when it’s the absolute last thing, that we want to do?

The first thing that I think of, is that it’s for our benefit, when we do forgive.
If something is for our own good, then surely, that can help with our motivation to do it, even if we don’t like it. The thought goes along the lines of, taking an unpleasant medicine, that will have a lasting, better effect.

The next one I’ll point to is, the Bible tells us to forgive. (Should this really be the first reason???)
Many are the places in the bible, where we are told, to forgive.
Search them out, and you will soon find them.

I feel that I’m digressing into the “why”, instead of the “how”, but knowing the “why”, can help with the motivation, for the “how”.

If we are facing something, and we we kind of know that we should be “forgiving”, but just don’t want to, then how can we overcome this?

Ask for Help, from Our Lord God?
A starting place could be to try saying something like the prayer below.

Lord God, I’m facing a situation at the moment.
Please Help me.
I’ve heard about forgiving, but it’s so hard to do.
If forgiving is what You want me to do, then please, help me to do it.

Then be willing to hear what Our Lord God speaks to you, and try to follow His prompting.
Hopefully, He will lead you to a prayer, like something below.

Because You ask me to, I choose to forgive those who are causing me pain.
I forgive, to open the door, to let the heat out, and to invite you into the situation.
Please help me that much more, as I go forward with this, with You.

Please understand, this may be just the beginning, and may need to be repeated, several times.

Once we ask Him in, we then have a need to hear His thoughts, and to follow His prompting.

Recently, in a situation that I was going through, I found myself going through many dress rehearsals of what I wanted to say or do, in the situation. 😦

Trying to work out what’s going on, and how to best act is one thing, but when it turns into an endless dress rehearsal. Well, that’s another thing, that wasn’t helpful to me.

In order to put a stop to it, I had to make the choice to sing praise songs in my head, and out loud, in order to put a stop to it.
I just knew, that I needed to do it, and thankfully, I was able to make the choice, to do it. (I’m now thinking that this was me, in part, putting into practice the lesson from, I’ll Raise a Hallelujah is a Battle Cry.)

I guess that the really important bit, is to hear what Our Lord God is prompting us to do, and to then, actually do it.

John 10:27-28
²⁷ My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.