2026: A Time for Forgiveness and Freedom
We have entered a new year, leaving behind the old with its mix of challenges and joyful moments. Regardless of what 2025 brought, one undeniable truth remains: we are here today, experiencing a day we have never seen before. This is a gift granted by God’s grace, who generously and continually gives us blessings that we don’t deserve and, through His mercy, spares us from hardships that we might deserve.
As we move forward into 2026, let’s look at the power and necessity of forgiveness. “Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive” (Colossians 3:13). We have a duty to forgive others because that is what frees us to continue to walk forward and be victorious. As the saying goes, “Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.” Unforgiveness will eat up your future, destiny, and your effectiveness.
What is unforgiveness and what does it look like?
Self-unforgiveness I believe is the worst because you live in a state of torment from your past every day. At one point in my life, I was in prison of my own making because I did not forgive myself. I lived like that for over thirty years, walking around like everything was fine, hiding behind my happy-go-lucky mask. One slippery night on the freeway a drunk driver and I almost had a terrible accident. It was that point I cried out to God, “Lord! I can’t live like this any longer! You have to let me out of this prison.” I clearly heard the voice of the LORD, “Gail, you’re locked into your self-made prison and you threw away the key. I forgave you the second you asked me, but you refused to let go of your pain.” That wintry night I was set free, so I know what pain is all about. Everyone has different crises, but God can take care of all situations. He is our Jehovah Jireh, meaning “He sees.” He sees everything you have suffered from others and from your own decisions. In 2026 allow the Lord to heal you through forgiveness, so you can be free to be who HE has called you to be. “So, if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36).
As we move forward into 2026, let’s look at the power and necessity of forgiveness. “Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive” (Colossians 3:13). We have a duty to forgive others because that is what frees us to continue to walk forward and be victorious. As the saying goes, “Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.” Unforgiveness will eat up your future, destiny, and your effectiveness.
What is unforgiveness and what does it look like?
- Lingering resentment: replaying the hurt or betrayal long after it happened.
- Emotional tension: feeling tight, guarded, or reactive around the person or memory.
- Desire for repayment: wanting the other person to feel what you felt or “make it right.”
- Avoidance or withdrawal: distancing yourself to protect the wound rather than heal it.
- Selfprotection that becomes selfimprisonment: holding on to the hurt as a shield, even when it starts to weigh you down.
Self-unforgiveness I believe is the worst because you live in a state of torment from your past every day. At one point in my life, I was in prison of my own making because I did not forgive myself. I lived like that for over thirty years, walking around like everything was fine, hiding behind my happy-go-lucky mask. One slippery night on the freeway a drunk driver and I almost had a terrible accident. It was that point I cried out to God, “Lord! I can’t live like this any longer! You have to let me out of this prison.” I clearly heard the voice of the LORD, “Gail, you’re locked into your self-made prison and you threw away the key. I forgave you the second you asked me, but you refused to let go of your pain.” That wintry night I was set free, so I know what pain is all about. Everyone has different crises, but God can take care of all situations. He is our Jehovah Jireh, meaning “He sees.” He sees everything you have suffered from others and from your own decisions. In 2026 allow the Lord to heal you through forgiveness, so you can be free to be who HE has called you to be. “So, if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36).