Letting Go of Revenge

I grew up in a broken family and lived in poverty. Since childhood, I was often insulted, bullied, and ostracised. What hurt the most was not only the larger society, but people who claimed to be God’s followers. I still remember the experiences of our family being doused with urine, accused of stealing just because we were poor, and looked down upon by friends.

At six years old, I may not have understood everything, but I knew one thing: I was really, really hurt. I wondered why my family had to suffer like that. I couldn’t accept my reality, let alone forgive the people who had hurt me. I even said to myself, “I would never forgive my parents for getting divorced.”

However, as a teenager, there was a song that often rang in my ears: “Forgive, forgive more truly, Jesus first forgave my sins, Forgive, forgive more truly.” That song became my prayer whenever I couldn’t forgive. But even though I prayed and sang, resentment still gripped me.

Freedom from Resentment and Revenge

As a teenager, I went to live and study in a school dormitory, and in 2012, several missionaries from Australia visited us. They held programmes to build our faith and identity, including praying for us.

One night, when the warden prayed while touching my head, I surrendered completely to God, and without realising it, I burst into tears. That night, I experienced freedom from resentment that had been weighing on my soul.

The deliverance was not because of my warden, but because of the great power and love of Jesus. I gave everything to God, including the grudge against my parents, the villagers, and even the church that had insulted us.

God Softened My Heart, Little by Little

My time at Skycommunity Dormitory (2012–2014) were very meaningful years. It was there that I learned to forgive and where my heart was healed. Peace and joy began to form. I began to pray for those who had hurt me, including my own family.

God did not change my past, but God changed my heart. The heart that was once like broken, useless glass, God has made into a beautiful flower vase. The wound may have left a scar, but God is able to use it for His glory.

The Freeing Power of the Cross

Forgiveness is not easy, but it is freeing. Jesus forgave me first through the cross, so I choose to forgive too. Today I stand as a witness that only God can create a new heart in us and give us true peace.

Jesus said: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). I knocked with a broken heart and God opened the way to healing and peace.