It is almost impossible to avoid all conflict in this world especially since conflict is a result of the sinful nature of mankind. People will hurt us and unfortunately, we may hurt others too, sometimes unintentionally. This hurt can result in turmoil that lasts years, especially when forgiveness is out of the picture. People who are able to forgive are some of the strongest individuals on earth and are people who have learnt to prioritize peace. If we were all more forgiving not only would others be better, we would be better persons too. You might be thinking “Yes, yes, easier said than done” and you are definitely right. The right things are sometimes the hardest things to do, even Paul acknowledged this in Romans 7:15 “For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out”. Fortunately, this is a task that is not impossible with our God.
“The right things are sometimes the hardest things to do…“
Throughout the Bible, there are incredible stories of forgiveness. One such story is that of David. He was looked down upon for his youth but proved to be an adequate servant for the Lord’s purpose. He had much favour in the Lord’s eyes and was ordained to be the next King of Israel. Many around him grew jealous, including King Saul. For 15 long years, Saul pursued David in an effort to kill him. David had never offended Saul, he did him no harm but David’s ordination by God was enough to drive this powerful man to the point of murder. Imagine being not only hated for no reason but also being on the hit list of the most powerful person in your country for 15 years!
It would be so easy for one to develop hatred for Saul and many may say this hatred would be justifiable. David did the complete opposite – he expressed Grace. In 1 Samuel 24:1-15 David expressed that while Saul slept in a cave, he went in and was able to even cut a piece of his garment. After 15 long years of living in fear, David could have ended Saul’s life with ease but he chose not to. Even at that moment, he justified his restraint by saying “I will not lift my hand against my master, because he is the LORD’s anointed.” His relationship with the Lord gave him the incredible ability to resist giving into the urge of unforgiveness which could have led him to murder. We know that David was not only confident that the Lord would deal with Saul in His own time. David was already ordained by God, his blessings were sure thus he knew better than to interfere with God’s timing. David was able to move on and become King and ruled well.
I often wonder what would have happened if David harbored unforgiveness in his heart and acted against Saul. Would he still have become King? Would he have been the great leader he was destined to be if he allowed the weight of unforgiveness to weigh on his heart? I often wonder, how does unforgiveness affect us now and how it can affect us going forward? Not only are we being hypocritical by wanting forgiveness and grace from God, but unforgiveness can affect our health.
A study at the University of Pennsylvania concluded that unforgiveness results in increased anxiety, depression, elevated blood pressure, vascular resistance, decreased immune response, and worse outcomes in coronary artery disease. (Norman, 2018). Unforgiveness hurts the unforgiving more than the one who has not been forgiven. No matter how big or small the incident was that resulted in you being hurt and no matter how long or how much it hurts, our God can help us forgive.
With prayer and willingness you can, over time, learn to forgive and relieve yourself of the weight of the issue that causes you pain. Choosing to forgive may be the easiest step in the journey of forgiveness and this journey may become extremely difficult for many. Though this is a fact, forgiveness is a pathway to peace with the person you may hold resentment towards, peace with yourself and peace in the Lord. If while reading this a specific situation or individual comes to mind I implore you to choose to start your journey of forgiveness, choose to let go of the weight. Liberty and peace await on the other side of forgiveness.
Thank you for reading. Please join us again next Friday.
Norman, K. (8 Aug 2017). Forgiveness: How it Manifests in our Health, Well-being, and Longevity. Retrieved from http://repository.upenn.edu/mapp_capstone/122
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