Daily Devotional
The Prison of Unforgiveness

August 26, 2025

Ponder This

An unforgiving spirit keeps you in prison. When someone hurts you, you say, “I’m not going to let him off the hook.” Our sense of justice cries out and says, “I will not let him get by with this! I’ll keep him on the hook.” The problem with that is the one who hurt you is not the only one kept on the hook. Carrying an unforgiving spirit means you are also on the hook.

Why should you be kind to someone who is unkind by forgiving that person? You should be kind and forgive for Jesus’s sake. That is, after all, the exact reason why God forgives you. God, for Christ’s sake, forgave you. Should you not also forgive others for the sake of Christ?

Forgiveness is not giving people what they deserve. Forgiveness is giving people what they need. However, we don’t only forgive for Christ’s sake and for the other’s sake—forgive others for your sake too. Did you hear that? For your sake! Bitterness will keep you in a prison of your own making. You say, “I’ll continue to hate. I won’t take revenge. I’ll just continue to hate.” When you continue to hate, it’s like taking an acid into your system. And bitterness is an acid that destroys its container. There are few forms of dissipation that will do more to you than resentment and bitterness.

• When was a time you chose bitterness instead of forgiveness?
• What is the hardest part of forgiveness for you? How can God help you forgive?

Practice This

Consider having a conversation with someone you have had a hard time forgiving.