Some Sayings About Forgiveness

• “We do our forgiving alone inside our hearts and minds; what happens to the people we forgive depends on them.”

• “The first person to benefit from forgiving is the one who does it.”

• “Forgiving happens in three stages: We rediscover the humanity of the person who wronged us, we surrender our right to get even, and we wish that person well.”

• “We forgive people only for what they do, never for what they are.”

• “Forgiving is a journey; the deeper the wound, the longer the journey.”

• “Forgiving someone who breaks trust does not mean that we give him his job back.”

• “Forgivers are not doormats; to forgive a person is not a signal that we are willing to put up with what he does.”

• “Forgiving is essential, talking about it is optional.”

• “When we forgive we set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner we set free is us.”

• “When we forgive we walk in stride with a forgiving God.”

From The Art of Forgiving by Lewis B Smedes