151 Quotes About Forgiveness That Can Help You Move On Healthily

Forgiveness in marriage quotes might help if you have a difficult time letting go of the resentment over being hurt and betrayed by your spouse.

Getting there and reaching that piece of mind that comes with forgiving for maltreatment and pain might be among the most difficult things that you achieve in your married life.

It also might take a fair share of time to do so. Quotes about forgiveness invite you to take care of yourself by providing forgiveness to those who hurt you. 

What is more, if you’re not ready to forgive but try anyway, you might find yourself forgiving the same transgression over and over again, starting each day with the intention of letting it go.

This is why forgiving in marriage needs to come as a result of a lot of deliberation, self-work, and, sometimes, almost divine inspiration. Forgiveness in marriage quotes can help you along that journey. 

What is forgiveness in marriage?

Forgiveness is a deliberate effort to let go of feelings and hurt. It is an internal process to pardon the offender. Forgiveness as an act is considered a conscious decision to let go and bring a sense of peace.

151 quotes about forgiveness that can truly help you move

Asking for forgiveness takes an immense amount of courage as it forces you to face your fears and accept what you have done wrong.

Forgiveness reiterates what has been elaborated earlier, truly forgiving someone also takes a lot of courage.

To not have any resentment or grudges towards your spouse, whom you have trusted so much, takes a lot of deliberation and strength.

Another aspect of true forgiveness in marriage is to be at peace and move on by forgetting about the transgressions.

Forgiveness in no way means that you turn a blind eye to your spouse’s wrongdoings, but it is the next step that you take after forgiving your partner, which in time, would help you to heal your wounds and move on in life.

• Forgiving and moving on quotes

Forgiveness helps us move on and have a better future. Forgiving and moving on quotes can help you understand the benefits and ways to push on. 

There are many sayings about forgiveness and moving on. Hopefully, you will find these quotes on forgiveness and moving inspiring you to take the first step. 

1. “Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.” – Paul Boose
2. “Never bring up mistakes of the past.”
3. “Learning to forgive will help you remove a major roadblock to your success.”
4. “It’s not easy to forgive and let go but remind yourself that harboring resentment will only aggravate your pain.”
5. “Forgiveness is a powerful weapon. Equip yourself with it and free your soul from fear.”
6. “Blame keeps wounds open. Forgiveness is the only healer.”
7. “Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward.” -C.S. Lewis
8. “Forgiveness says you are given another chance to make a new beginning.” — Desmond Tutu
9. “I can forgive, but I cannot forget, is only another way of saying I will not forgive. Forgiveness ought to be like a canceled note – torn in two and burned up so that it never can be shown against one.” – Henry Ward Beecher
10. “There is no revenge so complete as forgiveness.” – Josh Billings
11. “Letting go means realizing some people are a part of your history, but not your future.”

• Inspirational quotes on forgiveness

Forgiveness in marriage quotes takes into account that it is not easy to forgive and forget. However, abolition is not something you do for the perpetrator. These can also serve as forgive yourself quotes. 

Forgiveness in marriage quotes can inspire your forgiving heart when it is hard to look past the mistakes made. 

1. “Weak people seek revenge. Strong people forgive. Smart people ignore it.”
2. “Forgiveness is just another name for freedom.” – Byron Katie
3. “Forgiveness is liberating and empowering.”
4. “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” — Lewis B. Smedes
5. “The ineffable joy of forgiving and being forgiven forms an ecstasy that might well arouse the envy of the gods.” – Elbert Hubbard
6. “Because forgiveness is like this: a room can be dank because you have closed the windows, you’ve closed the curtains. But the sun is shining outside, and the air is fresh outside. In order to get that fresh air, you have to get up and open the window and draw the curtains apart.” – Desmond Tutu
7. “Without forgiveness, life is governed by an endless cycle of resentment and retaliation.” — Roberto Assagioli
8. “Forgiveness is the key to action and freedom.” – Hannah Arendt
9. “Acceptance and tolerance and forgiveness, those are life-altering lessons.” – Jessica Lange
10. “If you do not practice empathy and forgiveness for your actions, it will be impossible to practice empathy with others.”—Laura Laskin
11. “Forgiveness has an uncanny way of bringing incredible good out of incredibly bad situations.” – Paul J. Meyer

• Good quotes about forgiveness

Asking for forgiveness quotes has a way of portraying a different perspective and opening us up to more possibilities. Take a look at some good quotes about forgiveness and be mindful of what they are awakening in you. 

1. “How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours.” -Wayne Dyer
2. “To Heal a Wound, You Need to Stop Touching It.”
3. “People are lonely because they build walls instead of bridges.” – Joseph F. Newton Men
4. “Happily ever after is not a fairy tale. It’s a choice.” – Fawn Weaver
5. “Forgiveness is the remission of sins. For it is by this that what has been lost, and was found, is saved from being lost again.”- Saint Augustine
6. “The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget.” — Thomas Szasz
7. “Nothing inspires forgiveness quite like revenge.” – Scott Adams
8. “The remedy for life’s broken pieces is not classes, workshops, or books. Don’t try to heal the broken pieces. Just forgive.” — Iyanla Vanzant
9. “When you are happy, you can forgive a great deal.” – Princess Diana
10. “Knowing that you are completely forgiven destroys the power of sin in your life.” – Joseph Prince

• Forgiveness in relationships quotes

If you want a long-lasting relationship, you need to learn how to move past some mistakes your partner makes. Husband and wife forgiveness quotes are there to help us achieve that goal.

Quotes on forgiveness in relationships remind us that to make mistakes is human, and we need to make way for forgiveness if we want a happy relationship. 

1. “It’s easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend.”
2. “Deal with the faults of others as gently as with your own.”
3. “The first to apologize is the bravest. The first to forgive is the strongest. The first to forget is the happiest.”
4. “Forgiveness stands for giving up something for yourself, not for the offender.”
5. “Beware of the man who does not return your blow: he neither forgives you nor allows you to forgive yourself.” – George Bernard Shaw
6. “He that cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass if he would ever reach heaven; for everyone needs to be forgiven.” – George Herbert
7. “When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free.” — Katherine Ponder
8. “How unhappy is he who cannot forgive himself?” — Publilius Syrus
9. “If I owe Smith ten dollars and God forgives me, that doesn’t pay Smith.” – Robert Green Ingersoll
10. “For me, forgiveness and compassion are always linked: how do we hold people accountable for wrongdoing and yet at the same time remain in touch with their humanity enough to believe in their capacity to be transformed?” – Bell Hooks
11. “The people who did you wrong or who didn’t quite know how to show up, you forgive them. And forgiving them allows you to forgive yourself too.” – Jane Fonda
12. “You will know that forgiveness has begun when you recall those who hurt you and feel the power to wish them well.” – Lewis B. Smedes
13. “And you know, when you’ve experienced grace, and you feel like you’ve been forgiven, you’re a lot more forgiving of other people. You’re a lot more gracious to others.” – Rick Warren

• Forgiveness and love quotes

One might say that to love is to forgive. Words of forgiveness suggest that holding anger against a partner will only destroy your peace and marriage. 

Some of the best quotes about forgiveness in relationships can help you overcome hardships in your love relationship. Consider the advice elicited in forgiving your spouse’s quotes. 

1. “There is no love without forgiveness, and there is no forgiveness without love.” – Bryant H. McGill
2. “Forgiveness Is the Best Form of Love. It Takes a Strong Person to Say Sorry and an Even Stronger Person to Forgive.”
3. “You’ll never know how strong your heart is until you learn to forgive who broke it.”
4. “To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love. In return, you will receive untold peace and happiness” – Robert Muller.
5. “You can’t forgive without loving. And I don’t mean sentimentality. I don’t mean much. I mean having enough courage to stand up and say, ‘I forgive. I’m finished with it.” – Maya Angelou
6. “Never forget the three powerful resources you always have available to you: love, prayer, and forgiveness.” – H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
7. “All major religious traditions carry basically the same message; that is love, compassion, and forgiveness; the important thing is they should be part of our daily lives.” — Dalai Lama
8. “Forgiveness is like faith. You have to keep reviving it.” – Mason Cooley
9. “Forgiveness is me giving up my right to hurt you for hurting me.”
10. “Forgiveness is the giving, and so the receiving, of life.” – George MacDonald
11. “Forgiveness is the needle that knows how to mend.” – Jewel

• Quotes about forgiveness in marriage

Forgive and move on quotes call upon the sanctity of the marriage. If your once-blossomed love has lost its petals and withered, remember that forgiveness fosters love. 

Allocate some time to go through love and forgiveness quotes.

Find a quote on forgiveness and love to be your guiding start on this journey. This can help you avoid searching for giving up on marriage quotes in the future. 

1. “Forgiveness is a powerful tool to reconnect with the offender and your true, inner self.”
2. “Once a woman has forgiven her man, she must not reheat his sins for breakfast,” Marlene Dietrich.
3. Forgiveness is important in families, especially when there are so many secrets that need to be healed – for the most part, every family’s got them. Tyler Perry
4. Many promising reconciliations have broken down because while both parties come prepared to forgive, neither party came prepared to be forgiven. Charles Williams
5. Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look that becomes a habit. Peter Ustinov
6. “When a partner does make a mistake, it isn’t acceptable for the other partner to dwell on it and constantly remind the spouse of the mistake.”—Elijah Davidson
7. “Loving someone to the threshold of marriage doesn’t mean the difficulties of life are suddenly going to disappear. You’re both going to do a lot of forgiving and overlooking each other’s faults over the years if you truly want a happy marriage.”—E.A. Bucchianeri
8. “We are not perfect; forgive others as you would want to be forgiven.”—Catherine Pulsifer
9. “Forgiveness can make a marriage whole again.”—Elijah Davidson
10. “Most of us can forgive and forget; we just don’t want the other person to forget that we forgave.”—Ivern Ball
11. I believe forgiveness is the best form of love in any relationship. It takes a strong person to say they’re sorry and an even stronger person to forgive. Yolanda Hadid
12. “In marriage, every day you love, and every day you forgive. It is an ongoing sacrament, love, and forgiveness.”—Bill Moyers

• Forgiveness and understanding quotes

When we understand someone’s perspective, it is easier to forgive. Being in someone’s shoes can be helpful in moving past the hurt that was inflicted on us.

Forgiving quotes speak of this process and could motivate you to take the next step. 

1. “Reversing your treatment of the man you have wronged is better than asking his forgiveness.” – Elbert Hubbard
2. “Forgiveness is God’s command.” – Martin Luther King Jr
3. “Forgiveness is a funny thing. It warms the heart and cools the sting.” – William Arthur Ward
4. “Before we can forgive one another, we have to understand one another.” – Emma Goldman
5. “To understand somebody else as a human being, I think, is about as close to real forgiveness as one can get.” – David Small
6. “Selfishness must always be forgiven, you know because there is no hope of a cure.” – Jane Austen
7. “Be the one who nurtures and builds. Be the one who has an understanding and a forgiving heart, one who looks for the best in people. Leave people better than you found them.” – Marvin J. Ashton
8. “You don’t need strength to let go of something. What you really need is understanding.” – Guy Finley
9. “The first step in forgiveness is the willingness to forgive.” – Marianne Williamson
10. “It is very easy to forgive others their mistakes; it takes more grit and gumption to forgive them for having witnessed your own.” – Jessamyn West

• Forgiveness and strength quotes

Many mistake forgiveness for weakness, but it takes a strong person to say, “I forgive you.” Forgiveness in marriage quotes illustrates this strength well. Quotations on forgiveness and love could help you find the courage within you to give the present of a pardon to yourself. 

1. “I think the first step is to understand that forgiveness does not exonerate the perpetrator. Forgiveness liberates the victim. It’s a gift you give yourself.” – T. D. Jakes
2. It’s not an easy journey to get to a place where you forgive people. But it is such a powerful place because it frees you.” – Tyler Perry
3. “Never does the human soul appear so strong as when it foregoes revenge and dares to forgive an injury.” – Edwin Hubbel Chapin
4. Forgiveness is a virtue of the brave. – Indira Gandhi
5. “I learned a long time ago that some people would rather die than forgive. It’s a strange truth, but forgiveness is a painful and difficult process. It’s not something that happens overnight. It’s an evolution of the heart.” – Sue Monk Kidd
6. “Forgiveness is not a feeling – it’s a decision we make because we want to do what’s right before God. It’s a quality decision that won’t be easy, and it may take time to get through the process, depending on the severity of the offense.” – Joyce Meyer
7. “Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart.” – Corrie Ten Boom
8. “A winner rebukes and forgives; a loser is too timid to rebuke and too petty to forgive.” – Sydney J. Harris
9. “Forgiveness is not always easy. At times, it feels more painful than the wound we suffered to forgive the one that inflicted it. And yet, there is no peace without forgiveness.” – Marianne Williamson
10. “God forgives those who invent what they need.” – Lillian Hellman
11. “Only the brave know how to forgive… a coward never forgave; it is not in his nature.” – Laurence Sterne

• Famous forgiveness quotes

Forgiveness in marriage quotes come from a wide variety of sources like poets, celebrities, movie stars, and business leaders.

Regardless of the source, quotes about forgiveness in relationships have the biggest impact when they resonate with you.

Choose the relationship forgiveness quotes that speak to you the most, as they are the ones that have the biggest power to help you move on. 

1. “Always forgive your enemies – nothing annoys them so much.” – Oscar Wilde
2. “To err is human; to forgive, divine.” – Alexander Pope
3. “Let us not listen to those who think we ought to be angry with our enemies and who believe this to be great and manly. Nothing is so praiseworthy, nothing so clearly shows a great and noble soul, as clemency and readiness to forgive.” – Marcus Tullius Cicero
4. “The lesson is that you can still make mistakes and be forgiven.” -Robert Downey, Jr.
5. “We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
6. “Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.” – Mark Twain
7. “It’s one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, to forgive. Forgive everybody.” – Maya Angelou
8. “Mistakes are always forgivable if one has the courage to admit them.” – Bruce Lee
9. “A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers” – Robert Quillen.
10. “Once a woman has forgiven her man, she must not reheat his sins for breakfast,” – Marlene Dietrich
11. “To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love. In return, you will receive untold peace and happiness,” Robert Muller.
12. “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong”- Mahatma Gandhi
13. “The first to apologize is the bravest. The first to forgive is the strongest. The first to forget is the happiest.”

• Quotes on forgiveness and letting go

Check out these quotes on forgiveness and letting go without holding a grudge against your partner:

1. Forgiving isn’t something you do for someone else. It’s something you do for yourself. It’s saying, ‘You’re not important enough to have a stranglehold on me.’ It’s saying, ‘You don’t get to trap me in the past. I am worthy of a future.
2. Take forgiveness slowly. Don’t blame yourself for being slow. Peace will come.
3. Forgiveness does not mean ignoring what has been done or putting a false label on an evil act. It means, rather, that the evil act no longer remains as a barrier to the relationship. Forgiveness is a catalyst creating the atmosphere necessary for a fresh start and a new beginning.
4. You can’t forgive without loving. And I don’t mean sentimentality. I don’t mean much. I mean having enough courage to stand up and say, ‘I forgive. I’m finished with it.
5. Mistakes are always forgivable if one has the courage to admit them.
6. Forgiveness is the needle that knows how to mend.
7. Let’s shake free this gravity of judgment / And fly high on the wings of forgiveness,
8. Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.
9. Never forget the nine most important words of any family: I love you. You are beautiful. Please forgive me.
10. True forgiveness is when you can say, ‘Thank you for that experience.
11. Surely it is much more generous to forgive and remember than to forgive and forget.
12. It’s one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, to forgive. Forgive everybody.
13. We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love.
14. The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.
15. To err is human; to forgive is divine.
16. It’s not an easy journey to get to a place where you forgive people. But it is such a powerful place because it frees you.
17. Forgiveness is, above all, a personal choice, a decision of the heart to go against the natural instinct to pay back evil with evil.
18. Remember, when you forgive, you heal, and when you let go, you grow.

Watch this video to learn how to truly forgive someone:

• Wise quotes on forgiving and forgetting

Check out these wise quotes on forgiveness in marriage that will help you have closure and move on:

1. The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget.
2. Throughout life, people will make you mad, disrespect you and treat you bad. Let God deal with the things they do because hate in your heart will consume you too.
3. Do not let the shadows of your past darken the doorstep of your future. Forgive and Forget.
4. Forget your past, forgive yourself, and begin again.
5. Sometimes you have to forgive and forget, forgive them for hurting you, and forget they even exist.
6. Forgive and forget, not revenge and regret.
7. Forgive to forget.
8. You can give them another chance, or you can forgive, let go, and give yourself a better chance.
9. Appreciate those who love you, help those who need you, forgive those who hurt you, forget those who leave you.
10. Forget what hurt you, but never forget what it taught you.
11. I don’t forgive people because I’m weak. I forgive them because I’m strong enough to know people make mistakes.
12. Forgive them and forget them. Holding onto anger and bitterness consumes you, not them.
13. When we allow hate in our hearts, it consumes us. It leaves no room for love. It doesn’t feel good at all. Release it.
14. Forgiveness frees us and allows us to move on.
15. Everyone makes mistakes. If you can’t forgive others, don’t expect others to forgive you.14. Without forgiveness, life is governed by an endless cycle of resentment and retaliation.
16. Forgive and forget, not revenge and regret.
17. Forgiving people who have hurt you is your gift to them. Forgetting people who have hurt you is your gift to you.
18. You have to forgive to forget and forget to feel again.
19. I had to forgive a person who wasn’t even sorry, that’s strength.
20. To forgive takes love; to forget takes humility.
21. When a deep injury is done to us, we never heal until we forgive.

In a nutshell

One way or another, it is not easy to follow the steps to forgiveness in marriage, especially when things go south and our anger gets the best of us. This is emphasized in couples counseling as well.

Forgiveness in relationships quotes speaks the important truth – to be hurt by someone whom you loved so dearly is not something easy to let go of. Forgiveness in marriage takes work and a strong person to make it happen. 

Forgiveness in marriage quotes reminds us of our ability to get past any situation and see the silver lining in the darkest of clouds. So, take some time and read these quotes on forgiveness and love again.

When you are choosing forgiveness in marriage, quotes that match your situation follow your heart. Pick your favorite quote on forgiveness and love as a guiding star and take a deep breath for the forgiveness journey ahead. 

Continue exploring this topic

Talk to our Marriage.com AI Relationship Coach

Chat with me, ask questions and get help

Start Chatting

Marriage.com AI: Your Relationship Guide

Talk through what's on your mind.

Automated

Hi, I'm your relationship guide. What's on your mind?

YOU COULD START WITH

What are some quotes about forgiveness?

How can quotes help with forgiveness in marriage?

AI guidance only - not therapy. In crisis? Call a helpline or Find a Therapist

Terms

Rachael Pace Author

Rachael Pace is a noted relationship writer associated with Marriage.com. She provides inspiration, support, and empowerment in the form of motivational articles and essays. Rachael enjoys studying the evolution of loving partnerships... Read more and is passionate about writing on them. She believes that everyone should make room for love in their lives and encourages couples to work on overcoming their challenges together. Read less

Marriage.com Assessment

What Help Does Your Relationship Need Most Right Now Quiz

Reviewed byJennifer Schulz, LCSW

Backed by relationship science and evidence-based psychology, this assessment helps identify the area of your relationship that deserves the most attention right now, whether things feel strong or slightly off. Research shows that even healthy relat...

Questions: 20 | Last updated: Jan 23, 2026

Sample Question

When you and your partner talk about something important…

We listen with care — even hard talks feel safe and productive

We try to talk, but lately emotional closeness feels harder to reach

I want to be open, but part of me still guards my heart

Our discussions sometimes spiral or end unresolved

It’s hard to feel close because our physical intimacy hasn’t felt strong lately

We often see things differently about goals or priorities

Take the Quiz Now