The Importance Of Forgiveness

Forgiveness is something we all want to receive but most of us hesitate to give.Jesus said it clearly that we can't have it,without giving it.Mathew 6 ;14-15 says,"If you forgive those who sin against you,your Heavenly Father will forgive your sins."These words allow no room for doubt or discussion.Forgiveness flows two ways.We cannot separate receiving forgiveness from extending forgiveness.
Forgiveness is at the core of emotional well-being.It is fair to say that unforgiving people are emotionally sick.Their bitterness is a disease of the spirit,and it is inevitable that the unforgiving person will experience physical illness as well.Anger causes surges of adrenaline and secretes other powerful chemicals that attack the body.The stress we carry when we refuse to give or receive forgiveness affects our heart,mind and body.To make matters worse,both rage and depression contribute to obsessive behaviours such as overspending,overeating and workaholism.
Unsolved anger keeps us from moving forward because it looks like a time machine frozen on the exact moment when a particular offense occurred.Fear of further injury makes us unwilling to move to new levels of relationship,not only with those who have hurt us but with anyone who represents a similar threat.
Forgiveness cannot begin until we admit our own failures.If we cannot do that much,we can neither give nor receive forgiveness.For Christians,forgiveness is non-negotiable,it is the very essence of our faith.