We often keep a mental ledger of what others owe us. That insult. That betrayal. That hurt. We calculate the debt and wait for payback. But Jesus offers a radically different approach in Matthew 6:12: "Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." Forgiveness is not pretending nothing happened. It is releasing your right to retribution. It is choosing to let go of the demand that someone suffer as much as they made you suffer. This journey moves through three stages: from vengeance (wanting them to hurt like you hurt), to obedience (releasing the debt because Jesus says to), to transcendence (genuinely desiring the best for them). It takes time. It takes grace. But it sets you free.