Practice Self-Forgiveness.

Forgiving alone is already a challenge in itself, and forgiving oneself is even more difficult (at least in my experience).

It's always the intention that counts, right? Still, no matter how good the intention is, the execution can still mess up. Actions can go awry. And misunderstandings may result.

There've been lots of instances in my life when I feel like I've offended people because I said the wrong words, that what I meant didn't come out right, and so the misinterpretations. Instances like this, I often beat myself mentally afterwards. I would torture myself with accusations that I would not even throw at other people.

It's difficult to be so hard on one's self, but I don't know how one can avoid that. Maybe the principle on forgiving others can apply in the forgiveness of ourselves. Because more than anybody else, it's us who know what our intentions are. And if we know that we don't intend to hurt and offend in the first place, why not let it go?

And yes, even if we have committed a genuine mistake, forgiveness is still called for. After all the repentance is done, forgiveness and moving on must follow.

Lord help me always remember this.