Letting go of bitterness: On the fifth season of American Idol, Mandisa Hundley was known for more than just her amazing voice. The top-nine finalist also got attention for her response to Simon Cowell's rude comments about her weight. Mandisa first heard the judge's comments—like everyone else—when the episode aired.

When she next saw Simon, she said, "You hurt me, I cried, and it was painful, but I want you to know that I've forgiven you. I figure that if Jesus could die so that all of my wrongs could be forgiven, I can certainly extend that same grace to you."

Saying that wasn't easy.

"What made the difference was that I was watching the show with Christian friends," Mandisa told IYF. "Three of them immediately prayed over me that God would give me peace and that he'd replace Simon's cutting remarks in my heart with what the Lord says about me. And then, one friend prayed that the Lord would help me forgive Simon."

Right then, Mandisa realized her hurt and pain were not as important as forgiveness. "I've said worse things about others than what Simon said about me—and God keeps forgiving me," she says. "Besides, I learned forgiving has more to do with the person forgiving than the person being forgiven. I found peace. I let go of the bitterness."

God at Work: Mandisa was surprised with Simon's reaction to her forgiveness. He apologized with complete humility.

"I wish I could describe the feeling in that room," she says. "There was such a shift in the atmosphere. It felt like redemption. Really, it's a miracle that they aired it all unedited on TV. It had everything to do with the Lord."

In fact, Mandisa told IYF that she believes God is really at work through American Idol. "There have always been devout Christians on American Idol, including several of last season's finalists. I don't think that's a coincidence. Because it's the biggest show in the world, God's using it to let the world know that he's alive, real and relevant."

A Christian since 16, Mandisa is using her recently released CD and book, IdolEyes (Tyndale House), to talk about her faith and body image. "The media has set this standard about how we are supposed to look," she says. "But we're trying to live up to a standard of beauty that is not real. The average woman is not a size 0. And so, I don't believe in putting my life on hold until I am a certain size. It's been a process, but I know my worth comes from the inside and from God."

Read more from 'Bands & Artists'

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