Learn to Forgive

    Things are getting really heated politically and socially right now. Here are a couple of thoughts I’ve needed to tell myself lately. Maybe they’ll help you too.

    Take a breath and clear your head. Recognize that hard feelings towards anyone, on any issue, for any reason whatsoever, are probably wrong. Do you have hard feelings towards anyone? Anyone at all? It would be really difficult not to have hard feelings in this climate. Pray for help to forgive and be forgiven. Pray for help to show forth love, kindness, understanding, and forgiveness. Pray for healing, for yourself and for all. And then pray again. Take a day off from reading political articles. Or a week. Or a month. Maybe take a break from social media altogether. Those articles will still be there when you get back. You’ll probably be a lot happier and less stressed without reading all that divisive and negative rhetoric.

    But no matter what, learn to forgive. We can’t abandon these time-honored principles. We need them now more than ever. Control what you can control. You can’t control justice, but you can control forgiveness. You can’t control the hatred out there, but you can control the love you show. You can’t control the negativity out there, but you can control the kindness you offer. Hate never solves hate. Negativity never solves negativity. Revenge never brings justice. Harsh feelings and unkind actions will never bring happiness. They only create more turmoil and anger.

    “Nothing compares to infinite unfairness the Savior endured” (Dale G. Renlund, Liahona, August, 2020). Yet, He never displayed any hatred whatsoever. Learn to forgive yourself and others. It is the only path to healing; for ourselves, for our nation, and for all God’s children.