To forgive is divine
Are you finding it difficult to forgive your offenders? Listen, forgiveness is a gift you give to yourself.
Sometimes we waste so much time for apologies from people who don’t even realize how much they have hurt us. You do not need to make others feel bad for what they did for you to feel great. Choose to live and forgive your offenders even before they apologize.
One Bible story that stuck with me ever since I was a kid is the story about Peter asking Jesus how many times he should forgive someone who has sinned against him.
Jesus first replies with what would seem to be an absurd number of times “seventy times seven” and then He follows with a parable about forgiveness (Matthew 18:21-35).
Hearing this story as a child, I thought, “Okay, 490 times? That’s a lot of forgiving!” But, I got it all wrong, because we are never to stop forgiving.
And Jesus makes the point very clear that unless we forgive others, our Father in heaven will not forgive us. (Matthew 6:14-15, Mark 11:25). Let no one think that forgiving is easy. Forgiving is costly. Forgiving cost God His only Son.
Forgiving cost Jesus Christ His life. But while forgiving is costly, failure to forgive is even more costly. Forgiving will cost you, but there is great freedom after you forgive others.
Studies have found that the act of forgiveness can reap huge rewards for your health, lowering the risk of a heart attack; improving cholesterol levels and sleep; and reducing pain, blood pressure, and levels of anxiety, depression, and stress.
And research points to an increase in the forgiveness-health connection as you age.”
Forgiveness indeed is a gift you should give to yourself
