Sermon Illustrations

"Forgiveness is a choice and it is not based on feelings."

June Hunt in her book How to Forgive When You Don’t Feel Like it. She notes: “Clearly, not a single person on earth is immune from hurt and heartache. Still, that doesn’t mean we have to stay forever distressed, devastated by the destructive behavior that wrought such pain in our lives. We must remind ourselves, for our good, and for the good of others, that forgiveness is not a feeling. Indeed, forgiveness is a purposeful decision-an act of the will not dependent on our emotions. No matter what has been done to us, or how badly it hurts, we must forgive because of this inescapable and profound truth: Go has forgiven us all the more. Aren’t you grateful God is not gleefully piling up a bag full of offenses with your name on it?” (Page 76).