
09/11/2025
Today I found myself thinking again about the words Jesus spoke as He hung on the cross:
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
That line has followed me for years. It comes back to me in moments when forgiveness feels impossible—when the hurt is deep, when the words cut sharp, when the weight of the past presses hard on my heart.
In the last seven years especially, I’ve had to wrestle with what forgiveness really means. I’ve had to whisper those words to myself over and over again: they do not know. It’s softened my heart in times when bitterness tried to take root.
I want to be a warrior for Jesus. Not the kind of warrior that fights back with fists or words, but the kind who wakes up each day determined to be kinder, more loving, and more forgiving than the day before. Even when I’m afraid. Even when I feel mocked or misunderstood. Even when it would be easier to harden my heart.
Forgiveness doesn’t excuse what was done. But it frees me from being chained to it.
So today, I’m reminding myself: the prize isn’t in proving myself to others. The prize is living in a way that reflects Christ’s love—by forgiving, again and again, just as He forgave.
And maybe this is for you, too. Where in your life are you being asked to forgive? What weight could be lifted if you let go and placed it in God’s hands?