Many people ruin their health and their lives by responding to offenses by drinking the poison of bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness. In Matthew 18:23–35, Jesus tells a story about one man who refused to forgive another. At the end, He makes the clear and strong point that those who do not forgive others get “turned over to the torturers” (see Matthew 18:34). If you have, or have ever had, a problem forgiving others, I’m sure you can attest to this truth. Harboring hateful thoughts and bitterness toward another person in your mind is indeed torturous.
You may have heard the saying, “Refusing to forgive is like drinking poison and hoping it kills the other person.” We are not hurting the one who hurt us by being angry at them. The truth is that most of the time people who offend us don’t even know how we feel. They go on with their lives while we drink the poison of bitterness. When you do forgive those who offend you, you are actually helping yourself more than you are helping them, so I say, “Do yourself a favor and forgive!”
We think, but, it is so unfair for me to forgive them and then they just have no punishment for what they did. Why should I have the pain while they get the freedom?
The truth is that by forgiving, we are releasing them so God can do what only He can do. If I’m in the way-trying to get revenge or take care of the situation myself instead of trusting and obeying God-He may sit back and allow me to try to handle things in my own strength. But, if I allow Him to deal with those who offend me by forgiving them, He can work well out of it for both parties concerned. The book of Hebrews tells us that God settles the cases of His people. When we forgive, we put God on the case (see Hebrews 10:30).
Think about It
How does forgiveness help you?
