“Not forgiving someone is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die” ~ Nelson Mandela.
The truth about this is that unforgiveness is only harmful to the person who does not forgive.
Unforgiveness is a toxin that invades the body and soul, and like an infection, it spreads and creates a burden and bitterness in our hearts. Our hearts are not designed to carry the toxins of offense and bitterness that result from unforgiveness. Bitterness weakens our immune systems and leads to disease. Obviously, this is counterproductive to what we are trying to achieve with regenerative medicine treatments provided here at Caring Medical.
As a Caring Medical nurse, I see that these toxins eat at us from the inside out. I have seen it in myself, my family, and our patients.
When we choose not to forgive, we put ourselves in a self-imposed prison.
Fortunately, the good news is that we hold the key to unlocking the prison cell.
The key to freedom is offering forgiveness. When we forgive, we release ourselves from the prison of unforgiveness. Living the life of freedom that Jesus has for us is not possible if we do not forgive others. Forgiving others is not for them, but for us.
For those who have faith as I do, forgiving others is possible because Jesus has forgiven me/us. The world demands that we hold onto an offense, expect an apology first, seek revenge, hate the other person, etc. But God says to forgive others.
The Bible says in Ephesians 4:32: “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you.” Jesus removed our sins, canceled our debts and credited our account by replacing our sins with the righteousness (or goodness) of God.
When we forgive others, we are doing what Jesus did. We are canceling the offenders’ debts and crediting their accounts with expressed love. This sounds impossible, doesn’t it? It is definitely counter- cultural! Have you considered doing this?
To forgive, I find I need to first identify and take inventory of exactly what the issue is. As a Christian, I feel that the third person of God, the Holy Spirit, speaks to me in a way that is personal and clear. You may have harbored unforgiveness from something a family member or friend or co-worker said or did to you – even years ago. Is there a reason you need to hold onto this? Most likely not. It will continue to eat at you and destroy your peace, as well as your ability to truly heal.
You can unlock the prison door and free yourself by choosing to forgive that person. You credit their account by honoring and valuing that person.
If someone is coming to mind as you read this, I encourage you to write down the person’s name. Give it to God and let it go. Ask Him to help you forgive.
Sometimes, you must wrestle through hurts with God and that is okay. Some of you have experienced some very awful, hurtful things that you may be too ashamed to even discuss. But God knows. He knows it all.
Finding freedom through forgiveness is a process and it may take you a while to get it done. Take as long as you need. God longs for you to live in the freedom forgiveness brings, not the bondage of unforgiveness!