Forgiving Others
Learning to say “I’m sorry” and “it’s okay” — and how forgiveness restores our power.
A daily devotional adapted from The Drive podcast
Some of the most important lessons I’ve ever learned about life have come from watching children—especially my own.
When my daughters first started playing basketball, I went in with the same competitive mindset I’d always had. I wanted intensity. Drive. That killer instinct you expect in sports.
What I wasn’t prepared for was what I actually saw.
With nearly every accidental bump, trip, or collision, the girls would stop, look at each other, and say, “I’m sorry.”
And without hesitation, the response would come back, “It’s okay.”
Big smiles. Right back into the game.
At first, I couldn’t believe it. This wasn’t how sports were “supposed” to be played. But then a deeper thought hit me:
Maybe this is how life is supposed to be lived.
Hurt Is Inevitable — Holding Onto It Isn’t
In life, we will hurt others. And others will hurt us. Most of the time, the harm isn’t intentional—but it still hurts.
If we aren’t careful, pain hardens into resentment. Resentment becomes anger. And anger quietly takes control of our peace.
Someone once said that holding onto a grudge is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.
Forgiveness isn’t about minimizing pain.
It’s about releasing ourselves from it.
Five Principles That Make Forgiveness Possible
1. Learn to seek forgiveness
The more we recognize the ways we hurt others and learn to say “I’m sorry,” the easier it becomes to say “It’s okay.” These words don’t signal weakness—they demonstrate strength.
2. It’s not about you
When people hurt others, it almost always reflects their own pain and insecurity. Hurt people hurt people. While that doesn’t excuse behavior, it helps us stop carrying pain that was never ours to begin with.
3. Forgiveness is for you
Withholding forgiveness keeps us stuck. Forgiving restores our power. As Lewis B. Smedes said, “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover the prisoner was you.”
4. To be forgiven, we must forgive
Christ taught this clearly in the parable of the unmerciful servant. Having been forgiven an impossible debt, the servant refused to forgive a much smaller one. Mercy withheld closed the very bridge he needed to cross.
5. Forgiveness is a choice — but sometimes requires divine help
We can always choose forgiveness. But sometimes we lack the strength to feel it.
Corrie ten Boom knew this firsthand.
After surviving a Nazi concentration camp—and losing her sister—she later encountered one of the guards who had brutalized prisoners. When he reached out to shake her hand, she found herself unable to forgive.
So she prayed.
Not for feelings—but for help.
And in that moment, God supplied what she could not. Forgiveness came—not from her strength, but from His.
Forgiveness Restores Alignment
Forgiveness puts us back into our power. It realigns our hearts. It frees us to re-enter life the way children do—quick to apologize, quick to forgive, and quick to move forward.
Today’s Daily Challenge
Today, two names will likely come to mind:
Someone you need to say “I’m sorry” to
Someone you need to say “It’s okay” about
Reach out if you can.
Release them if you can’t.
And if forgiveness feels beyond your capacity, pray—not just once, but daily—for the power to forgive. God will meet you where you are.
Thanks for taking a moment to reflect today.
For daily devotionals and episode topics, visit
https://joshdowns.com/daily-devotionals
For gospel-centered lessons designed specifically for teens, explore
https://joshdowns.com/come-follow-me-for-teens
