Get Rid of Unforgiveness and Move Forward

Ephesians 4:31-32

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Matthew 18:21-22

“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.’”

Two things can hold you back from experiencing peace and joy in your dating journey: unforgiveness and an unwillingness to let people, pain, and problems from your past go. As you explore what it means to spring clean your dating life, you may realize you’re holding on to unforgiveness or an unwillingness to let go of someone or something.

The Bible says to get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger. Are you bitter toward someone or something that happened in your past dating experiences? Are you still holding on to anger for what someone did to you or for a relationship that didn’t work out? Perhaps underneath that anger is sadness and disappointment because of what happened.

Only you know what hurt and unforgiveness you’re holding on to in your heart. And while you might think it will hurt less if you keep clinging to it, you’ll actually experience more joy and peace when you let it go. As they say, “Let go and let God.” Let go of past hurts, relationships, and pains, and let God fill your heart with new hope for His good plan for your life.

How do you do this practically? Start with a prayer for unforgiveness:

Heavenly Father,

Thank you so much for sending your Son to die on the cross and forgive me for all my mistakes and failures. It is because You forgave us that we can forgive others. You are the perfect example of forgiving people when they don’t deserve it. I am done holding on to unforgiveness in my heart. So, today I choose to forgive [insert who you need to forgive] and allow myself to begin healing from the pain that was caused. As I choose forgiveness, I pray for Your comfort and love to overflow onto me and help me move forward as I trust in You.

Then take practical steps to spring clean your phone and home from memories of the past. For example, remove old contacts and delete text messages and pictures from your phone. It’s one of the best ways to physically start letting someone go. Also, unfollow people on social media, like an ex or someone you dated. Take down any photos of them around your house and throw out any of their clothes or gifts they gave you.

Don't hold onto the past and let it weigh you down any longer. Instead, start with forgiveness to “clean” your heart, and then do a bit of traditional spring cleaning to create space for new people and opportunities to come your way.