Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Forgiving someone is easier to talk about than to actually do, especially when the hurt is still fresh and the person hasn't apologized, might never apologize. Most advice stops at "let it go" without saying how, or why you'd even want to.
This verse gives a reason that isn't about the other person at all: forgive as God in Christ forgave you. The motivation isn't that the offender deserves it — it's that you were forgiven first, for things that probably deserved less grace than you got. Kindness and tenderheartedness here aren't personality traits some people are lucky to have. They're described as a response to having been on the receiving end of mercy.
If you've never experienced anything you'd call forgiveness from God, this verse might sound like it's asking you to run before you can walk. That's a fair reaction. But it's worth asking what it would be like to actually receive that forgiveness first, before worrying about extending it to anyone else.
If forgiving someone feels impossible right now, it might help to first look into the forgiveness this verse says you've already been offered.
A short video on this is coming soon — for now, read on.