Forgiveness is vital to spiritual, emotional wellness

“Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends.” – Proverbs 17:9

Forgiveness. What does it mean in a day when there seems to be so much hurt and pain going on around us that anger and hate seem to be just a part of our everyday life?

People are hurting because of malice, gossip, lies, broken possessions, broken promises, broken hearts, unkindness, partiality, neglect and selfishness.

At times, God is the only one who knows the reason for our anger.

In the original “Red Dawn” movie in 1984, Powers Booth plays a character as a downed Air Force pilot. He tells C. Thomas Howell, a resistance fighter, that he needs to be careful with the anger he has toward the enemy. He tells Howell the anger will “burn you up.”

“It keeps me warm,” Howell replies.

This movie’s setting is a war, but in our day-to-day lives, if we are not careful, we can “war” against family, friends, coworkers, etc., and have feelings of anger and hate that are not healthy for us and the relationships we are in.

In the movie, “Star Wars: Episode I, The Phantom Menace,” a very wise master Yoda is teaching a young Anakin Skywalker during the evaluation process to see if he should start Jedi training.

“Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering,” Yoda says.

Suffering is a noun which means the state of undergoing pain, distress or hardship. Does any of this ring a bell in your life?

Forgiveness is the intentional and voluntary process by which a victim undergoes a change in feelings and attitude regarding an offense, and lets go of negative emotions. Forgiveness is different from condoning, excusing and forgetting.

It is moving with mercy, and being kind and pardoning something that someone has done to you.

In Matthew chapter 6, we find The Lord’s Prayer. Chapters 5 through 7 are referred to as the “Sermon on the Mount.”

In this sermon, Jesus taught us that as we pray to God the Father, we should ask him to forgive us our debts (trespasses) as we forgive our debtors (those who trespass against us) – because asking for forgiveness and giving forgiveness are vital to our spiritual and emotional well-being.

Why?

When one is wronged, fear, anger and hatred can build within a person, which will put them into suffering.

This will spill into other people’s lives. Forgiveness is the act of being able to move on with life and not letting it eat you up inside, even though you may not be able to forget.

Unforgiving, left unchecked, is like eating poison and hoping the one who offended you gets their payback.

It is not healthy for you, nor for those with whom you are in a relationship.

The Lord’s Prayer teaches that if we don’t forgive those who trespass against us, neither will your heavenly father forgive you.

God is teaching us that, since he is a very forgiving father and is always there to forgive us our wrongs against him (1 John 1:9-10), how can we not forgive those who have wronged us?

If he forgives us, how can we not forgive others?

Forgiveness is a missing aspect of our lives today. Someone may say “What was done to me is unforgivable,” and to that person, it could be true. But it can have a great effect on us spiritually, emotionally and physically. The toll it can take can be awful.

I want to encourage you that forgiveness is a very necessary part of our daily lives and, if we practice it, we can find peace, comfort, joy and happiness in our lives.

Ephesians 4:31-32 reads, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”

Forgiving is a must if you want to live and live well.