Some Christians like to talk about forgiveness while holding onto the hurt. Those old painful experiences become the excuse we use to avoid future actions. 

“They asked me to do that, but I am not going to cooperate. After all, you remember when they did that awful thing to me. Because they did that, I will not show them my kindness now. Oh sure, I forgive them, but that does not change anything about what they did.”

True forgiveness is a choice to let go of the hurt that has been done to you. In Christ, God forgave the worst in you, and now that you are in him, you forgive the worst in others. 

The place where forgiveness shines the brightest in the life of a believer is that moment when you want to say, “But don’t you remember what they did,” and hold onto that hurt.