Powerful Forgiveness Quotes to Empower Your Healing Journey

Forgiveness is an intentional decision to not hold on to anger and resentment. It is all about letting go of weight, peace of mind, and healing. Sometimes, forgiving someone for what they did to us is quite difficult. However, you should let it go and move on. Forgiving someone doesn’t mean they are right; it helps you grow. If you’re going through a situation where someone hurts your feelings, you must read the forgiveness quotes to encourage yourself to forgive and heal. We have compiled a great collection of powerful quotes about forgiving that you can share anywhere to inspire people and help them change their perspective.

Bible Quotes About Forgiveness

The Bible has more to say about forgiveness, giving you the strength and love to accept it. Below are bible verse quotes to help you better understand what it means to forgive and let go of resentment.

And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” – Mark 11:25

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. – Ephesians 4:32

Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. – Matthew 18:21-22

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. – Matthew 6:14-15

“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; – Luke 6:37

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. – Matthew 6:12

And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. – Acts 2:38

Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. – Romans 12:19

Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. – Isaiah 55:7

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. – John 1:9

No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” – Jeremiah 31:34

Do you not know, brothers and sisters—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives? – Romans 7:1

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. – Luke 23:34

Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy. – Proverbs 28:13

Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin. – Psalms 32:5

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. – Luke 6:37

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. –Matthew 6:14-15

Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends. – Proverbs 17:9

Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.” – Luke 17:3-4

“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. – Isaiah 1:18

Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” – Hebrews 10:17

Short Quotes on Forgiveness

Sometimes, we have to forgive those who hurt us to find inner peace. We have collected forgive-to-be-forgiven quotes to help you understand the importance of forgiveness.

“If we really want to love, we must learn how to forgive.” — Mother Teresa

“How unhappy is he who cannot forgive himself.” ― Publilius Syrus

“It’s one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, to forgive. Forgive everybody.” — Maya Angelou

“The man who opts for revenge should dig two graves.” — Chinese Proverb

“True forgiveness is when you can say, ‘Thank you for that experience.’” — Oprah Winfrey

“Forgiveness is the needle that knows how to mend.” — Jewel

“Forgiveness is a virtue of the brave.” — Indira Gandhi

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” — Mahatma Gandhi

“To err is human; to forgive, divine.” — Alexander Pope, An Essay on Criticism

“Forgiveness is a reflection of loving yourself enough to move on.” — Dr. Steve Maraboli

“Forgiveness is healing… especially forgiving yourself.” — Alyson Noel, Evermore

“Forgiveness is not weak. It takes courage to face and overcome powerful emotions.” — Desmond Tutu

“There is no love without forgiveness, and there is no forgiveness without love.” — Bryant H. McGill

“Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.” — Paul Lewis Boese

“Forgiveness is a funny thing. It warms the heart and cools the sting.” ― William Arthur Ward

“Forgotten is forgiven.” ― Scott Fitzgerald, The Crack-Up

“Blame keeps wounds open. Only forgiveness heals.” — Thomas S. Manson

“Before we can forgive one another, we have to understand one another.” ― Emma Goldman

“Let us forgive each other—only then will we live in peace.” — Leo Tolstoy

“Forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past.” — Lily Tomlin

“Real forgiveness is a lifelong commitment. You must practice it every day.” — Richard Daly

“Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names.” ― John F. Kennedy

“When a deep injury is done us, we never recover until we forgive.” — Alan Paton

“One always begins to forgive a place as soon as it’s left behind.” — Charles Dickens, Little Dorrit

Best Quotes About Forgiveness

The best quotes about forgiving will help you move forward and get closer to letting go of the past. Return to these wise words whenever you get hurt or need motivation to make repairs.

“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” —Lewis B. Smedes

 “Holding a grudge doesn’t make you strong; it makes you bitter. Forgiving doesn’t make you weak; it sets you free.” —Dave Willis

“When you forgive, you free yourself from making your happiness depend on what another person does or doesn’t do.” —Barbara J. Hunt

Let’s shake free this gravity of judgment, and fly high on the wings of forgiveness.” —India Arie Simpson

“It’s not an easy journey, to get to a place where you forgive people. But it is such a powerful place because it frees you.” —Tyler Perry

“Forgiveness is designed to set you free. When you say, ‘I forgive you,’ what you’re really saying is ‘I know what you did. It’s not OK, but I recognize that you are more than that. I don’t want to hold us captive to this thing anymore. I can heal myself, and I don’t need anything from you.’” —Sarah Montana

“Forgiving isn’t something you do for someone else. It’s something you do for yourself. It’s saying, ‘You’re not important enough to have a stranglehold on me.’ It’s saying, ‘You don’t get to trap me in the past. I am worthy of a future.’” —Jodi Picoult

“Anger makes you smaller, while forgiveness forces you to grow beyond what you are.” —Cherie Carter-Scott

“The only way out of the labyrinth of suffering is to forgive.” —John Green

 “Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.” —Nelson Mandela

“I always forgive my enemies. Nothing enrages them more.” —Felix Grendon

“It’s said in Hollywood that you should always forgive your enemies—because you never know when you’ll have to work with them.” —Lana Turner

“How can I better destroy my enemies than by making them my friends?” —Abraham Lincoln

“It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend.” —William Blake

Inspirational Forgiveness quotes

These inspiring quotes can help you understand why forgiving people is essential to living your best life with compassion and love. Read these life lesson quotes and share them on your social media platforms.

We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. – Martin Luther King

Throughout life people will make you mad, disrespect you and treat you bad. Let God deal with the things they do, because hate in your heart will consume you too. – Will Smith

It’s one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, to forgive. Forgive everybody. – Maya Angelou

We win by tenderness. We conquer by forgiveness. – Frederick William Robertson

It’s not an easy journey, to get to a place where you forgive people. But it is such a powerful place, because it frees you. – Tyler Perry

Life is an adventure in forgiveness. – Norman Cousins

Never does the human soul appear so strong as when it forgoes revenge, – Edwin Hubbel Chapin

To err is human; to forgive, divine. – Alexander Pope

Anger begets more anger, and forgiveness and love lead to more forgiveness and love. – Mahavira

Before we can forgive one another, we have to understand one another. – Emma Goldman

To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you. – Lewis B. Smedes

Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much. – Oscar Wilde

The only way out of the labyrinth of suffering is to forgive – John Green

Surely it is much more generous to forgive and remember, than to forgive and forget. – Maria Edgeworth

The remedy for life’s broken pieces is not classes, workshops or books. Don’t try to heal the broken pieces. Just forgive. – Iyanla Vanzant

When you forgive, you heal. When you let go, you grow. – Anonymous

Acceptance and tolerance and forgiveness; those are life-altering lessons. – Jessica Lange

He that cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself; for every man has need to be forgiven. – Thomas Fuller

Forgiveness Quotes About Love

Forgiving your loved one is essential to maintaining the relationship. You have to forgive them if they are sorry for the mistakes they made. These forgiveness quotes about love can help you go through the difficult times of a relationship.

“I’m sorry about yesterday,” she said. He hung on to his straps and shrugged. “Yesterday happens.” ― Rainbow Rowell, Eleanor & Park

“Forgiveness is the name of love practiced among people who love poorly. The hard truth is that all people love poorly. We need to forgive and be forgiven every day, every hour increasingly. That is the great work of love among the fellowship of the weak that is the human family.” ― Henri J.M. Nouwen

“Forgiveness is the giving, and so the receiving, of life.” ― George MacDonald

“Forgiveness is the giving, and so the receiving, of life.” ― George MacDonald

“Anger makes you smaller, while forgiveness forces you to grow beyond what you were.” ― Cherie Carter-Scott

“If he can’t handle you at your worst then he does not deserve you at your best. Real love means seeing beyond the words spoken out of pain, and instead seeing a person’s soul.” ― Shannon L. Alder

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• 120 Inspiring Self Love Quotes To Boost Your Self Esteem
• Peace Quotes to Inspire Inner Love and Give You Strength

Powerful Forgive Yourself Quotes

Sometimes, we blame ourselves for the tinniest problems. Well, you may understand that to live a peaceful life, we must forgive ourselves for our big or small mistakes. These powerful forgive yourself quotes can make real progress toward a happier life.

“Forgiving yourself, believing in yourself, and choosing to love yourself are the best gifts one could receive.” —Brittany Burgunder

“Forgiveness is a gift you give to yourself, to be at peace, to be happy and to be able to sleep at night. You don’t forgive because you are weak but because you are strong enough to realize that only by giving up on resentment will you be happy.” —Luminita D. Saviuc

“I think that if God forgives us we must forgive ourselves. Otherwise, it is almost like setting up ourselves as a higher tribunal than Him.” —C.S. Lewis

“How unhappy is he who cannot forgive himself.” —Publilius Syrus

“Slide the weight from your shoulders and move forward. You are afraid you might forget, but you never will. You will forgive and remember.” —Barbara Kingsolver

“As we know, forgiveness of oneself is the hardest of all the forgivenesses.” —Joan Baez

“Forgiveness is so incredibly powerful. Forgiveness is not for the other person. It is for you.” —Tyler Perry

“Forgiveness is a reflection of loving yourself enough to move on.” —Steve Maraboli

“Forgiveness is the needle that knows how to mend.” —Jewel

“Forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could have been any different.” —Oprah

“It’s not just other people we need to forgive. We also need to forgive ourselves. For all the things we didn’t do. All the things we should have done.” —Mitch Albom