[[forgiving]]

"Not forgiving someone is like drinking the poison and waiting for the other man to die."

I totally agree with this statement. By choosing not to forgive someone we are only hurting ourselves. Like the statement above, not forgiving someone is like poison to our body. We tend to want the other person to hurt. Stalling forgiveness only eats us up from the inside out, like poison. This statement reminds me of Colossians 3:13. It says, "...forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others." If someone hurts you, you are commanded by God to forgive them instantly, but you are not expected to trust them immediately. They must prove themselves first, and earn your trust back. Trust has to do with future behavior, while forgiveness has to do with letting go of the past. Forgiveness, therefore, must be immediate, whether or not a person asks for it. But...trust must be rebuilt over time.*