You may have heard the story of the man who complained to his friend about his wife. He said, “every time we have an argument, my wife gets historical!”

The friend responded, “you mean HYSTERICAL don’t you?”

The man replied, “No, I mean HISTORICAL. Every argument we have she always brings up the past.”

Forgiving is one thing and forgetting is quite another. Perhaps we may not be able to forget but I think there are things we can to do to forgive and liberate ourselves from anger and bitterness.

So here are 5 ways to forgive and let it go:

Pray. Pray not only for yourself but pray more importantly for the person who offended you. Check out Matthew 5:44
Let go of Resentment. I love the fabulous Carrie Fisher quote: "Resentment is the poison you swallow hoping the other person will die." Recognize that when you choose not to forgive someone, you are not only hurting yourself, you're also giving this person control of your emotions, and who wants to do that?? Check out Matthew 18:21-35. The commandment is clear: you must forgive!
Make a choice. When you respond with hate to hate, anger to anger, bitterness to bitterness, you are ironically becoming part of the problem. Choose to resist becoming like them and instead put in the conscious effort to remain a loving, soulful, happy person. Check out Matthew 5: 43-48.
Let go and Let God. Contemplating revenge? The best kind of revenge is living a successful, happy life. If you train yourself to consistently be more loving in thoughts and actions, you will attract more positive people and positive results. I say let it go and let God avenge you! Check out Romans 12:19.
And finally,
Count your Blessings. When you are tempted to focus on all the ways the world has done you wrong, count your blessings instead. An attitude of gratitude goes a long way in forgiving those around you and keeps you focused on the ways God has, and continues to bless you. Check out Psalm 31:14-18.