Forgiveness Is For Everyone

Unforgiveness makes us feel angry, cold, hard, bitter, and resentful. The impact of unforgiveness can be physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. Yes, you may feel justified in your anger, yet you must choose what you desire - your anger or freedom from anger. In the very first book of the New Testament in the Bible, the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 18, Jesus tells a parable about a man who refuses to forgive someone even after he has been forgiven. And Jesus describes the consequences of that unforgiveness as being like torture. When we don’t forgive, we are deciding to hold onto the offense. We focus on our pain and choose to relive the moment that offended us whenever the offender comes nearby.

When people withhold forgiveness or harbor resentment towards someone else, it often ends up making things worse for the person who has been wounded. One proverb compares resentment to swallowing poison and expecting the other person to die. When we hold onto the overwhelming emotions of anger, distress and despair, we repeatedly injure ourselves and further the damage that has been inflicted on our souls.