Forgiving Your Spouse

The first step in developing a divorce-proof marriage is learning to forgive. Unforgiveness has ruined more marriages than perhaps any other human frailty. When we become too proud to let go of our anger or to accept a sincere apology, our marriage may be destined for failure. Forgiving a spouse doesn’t mean we’re denying that they’ve hurt us in some way. It’s simply acknowledging that we’re all human and we all make mistakes. It also doesn’t minimise what happened. You’re not saying to your spouse, “What you did isn’t important.” Anytime someone wrongs another person, the offence is important. What you’re saying to them is, “I believe you’re sorry, and I choose to forgive you. Because our marriage is too important for me to do otherwise. To extend forgiveness, and to ask forgiveness when we’ve done wrong, is the cornerstone of every successful marriage.