Forgiveness may be likened to a medicine that is bitter on the tongue yet healing to the body. It feels bitter because holding onto unforgiveness seems justified and momentarily tastes sweeter, but in reality, it causes internal decay. While the initial impulse may be to reject the medicine, once its healing effects take hold, we are thankful for having taken it.
Unforgiveness does more harm to you than the individual. Unforgiveness causes you to live in powerlessness. Every time the offender comes around, your mood or day goes from good to bad. Unforgiveness stagnates you, so you are bound by the offense instead of moving forward in life. This is why God calls you to live a life that produces the fruit of forgiveness. He understands that if you walk around with unforgiveness in your heart, not only will you not be able to experience the freedom found in Jesus fully, but you will begin to believe that God does not forgive you. Matthew 6:12 “Forgive our sins, just as we have forgiven those who did wrong to us.” (ERV).
Often as believers, we are faced with situations that cause our hearts to
harden towards an individual and cause us to question our ability and capacity to forgive. Naturally, forgiveness is often viewed as something that must be earned. But this perspective of forgiveness is rooted in the idea that the offender is in dire need of your forgiveness. But this is not so. Although forgiveness can impact the life of the offender, your willingness to forgive releases you from bondage and makes room for revival to take place in your life. There is a quote that says “Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and hoping the other person dies.”
If you have been struggling with the act of forgiving those who have wronged you, now is the time to let go. If God can forgive us each time we transgress against Him, who are we to withhold forgiveness? Are we more righteous than God? Certainly not. Therefore, no matter how difficult it may be, we should forgive.
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