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The Voice of “Un” Forgiveness

“The weak can never forgive, that is the attribute of the strong” _ Mahatma Gandhi

It is no coincidence that studies have found that forgiveness heaps rewards for your physical health. They have found that the act of forgiveness lowers risks of heart attack, improves cholesterol levels and sleep, reduces pain, blood pressure, and levels of anxiety, depression, and stress. This study was completed by Johns Hopkins researchers and although that is promising news, it's not always easy to carry out. Forgiveness is the act of pardoning someone who has offended or harmed you in some way. Pardoning is releasing them from any penalty of the offense. That is the part that many have a hard time comprehending. How can I act as though that did not happen? How can I let you go free for something that cost me? These are valid questions, but there is another way we can choose to look at it.

1. Forgiveness releases the person from you, while harboring ill feelings keeps them bonded to you.

2. Forgiveness releases them from their penalty but also frees you to be released from yours with God.

3. Forgiveness does not erase the event that happened, but it takes away its power over you.

4. Forgiveness withheld often morphs into bitterness, anger, resentment, etc., which can cause actions in you that affect you emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. 

5. Forgiveness does not disqualify your feelings; it qualifies your ability to live past them.

6. Forgiveness does not always equate reconciliation. Forgiveness is an act that requires only one person, while reconciliation is a joint effort.

Jesus has not asked you to do anything that He has not already modeled. God already knew that we would offend and do things to hurt Him, which is why He sent us a pardon through his Son. The truth is, no one is perfect, and everyone does something at a point in life that hurts another. Pride fuels the fire of offense, but humility extinguishes it. 

Prayer:

God, I pray that any offense that they may have experienced would be settled. I pray that they see just as you have forgiven them that they must extend that same mercy. I stand in agreement that debts are released and hearts are being mended. Where there is bitterness, let there be joy. Where there was contempt, let there be peace. Where there was anger, let there be love. In Jesus' name, amen.