“A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.” ~Proverbs 17:22 KJV

In recent posts we’ve been addressing the subject, how do I forgive others, but now we must ask the question, why should I forgive others?  Just understanding how to do something doesn’t necessarily give us the desire to do it.

We should forgive others as we want to be forgiven. Why? Because this is God’s measuring stick to our receiving His forgiveness.

“For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”   ~Matthew 7:2 NIV

Yes, we must become forgivers in order to be forgiven. However this forgiveness thing goes far beyond the . . . we forgive, we get forgiven principle—not that that isn’t more than reason enough. There is yet another huge benefit to forgiving others, we will also be blessed in the here and now as well!

There are a number of both physical and psychological benefits to the act of forgiveness. By learning to let go of anger and resentment we will receive, what God calls, a merry or sound heart. We will experience less depression and anxiety, less stress and bitterness, as well as becoming more hopeful, confident, and just plain happier!

Let’s take a closer look at some of these physical benefits—how about all around better health? Everything from stronger immunity and quicker healing to drastically all around fewer health problems—less headaches, backaches, neck aches, insomnia and even heart problems, the list goes on and on. Why do you think chronic illness is referred to as dis-ease? There are tons of Bible verses that correlate our spiritual heart condition to our physical health condition. In the Bible, the mind is literally referred to as the heart.

“A sound heart is life to the body, but envy is rottenness to the bones.”   ~Proverbs 14:30

Nevertheless, the biggest reason to forgive others is so God can also forgive us. If we can determine how much forgiveness we will receive according to how much we forgive others, we might want to consider forgiving everyone for everything!

What is forgiveness…?

Forgiveness is letting go of our reaction to someone else’s words or actions. It’s the conscience act of allowing other’s to make mistakes. It’s forgetting what they’ve done to you and then turning it all over to God. We can’t really forget until we give it up to God. By putting God in the mix we no longer have to be judge and jury, we can remove ourselves from the entire situation . . . forgive, forget and be happy.

Are you going in the right direction . . . are you following Jesus? He is the King of forgiveness. He forgives us even though we all have wronged Him by sinning. In order to forgive someone you don’t have to accept what they’ve done as acceptable. Forgiveness doesn’t mean what the other person said or did is right. You’re simply making a choice not to live in a state of anger or resentment—you’re allowing them to make a mistake and you’re choosing to forget.

Sometimes, especially when the guilty party doesn’t even try to change their behavior or apologize, it may seem impossible to forgive. But with the aid of the indwelling Spirit you can choose to forgive and let it go, not allowing yourself to be obsessed with their wrongdoing or allowing it to continue to affect your life.

It’s said that it is easier to forgive an enemy than a friend. We expect to be hurt by our enemies, but not by our friends. When a friend does something wrong to us it hurts far more than a stranger. We instantly feel betrayed. These are the times we need to run to God for assistance. These are the instances that are, nine times out of ten, nothing more than miscommunications.

Communication is difficult at best, especially in this day of emails, messaging and texting. And honestly, it’s one of Satan’s favorite ways to mess up relationships—to get people that care about each other to get angry and walk away. These are the times we need to swallow our hurt feelings, ask God for some help to find forgiveness, and quickly reconcile.

I don’t want to waste any more time in a state of anger or upheave. If someone hurts my feelings I usually say a silent prayer for them and simply move on. If someone I really care about continues to be hurtful, I bring it to their attention as kindly as I can, and then give them, (and their unwarranted behavior) up to God.

When people act out inappropriately there’s usually something going on in their lives that we don’t know about. They probably need our prayers more than we realize.

Our words are powerful! We all need to think twice before speaking. However, our emotions usually lead us into an argument when someone says something hurtful. Refrain from responding. Silently call to God for help, and then pray for that person. You might be very surprised as to the results. God wants us to be at peace with everyone, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ.

”Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”        ~Matthew 5:23-24

Find forgiveness in your heart toward everyone. Give them up to God and He will take care of the situation far better than our anger-filled words.

I’m sorry and I forgive you are two of the most powerful statements a person can speak, and also two of the least spoken. Regret and sorrow bring emotional healing and spiritual cleansing, and forgiveness sets us free! Apologize when you are wrong, forgive often, and you will be blessed.

God has the perfect game plan for every situation, He wants us to freely forgive others and receive His blessing. Satan, however, wants us to get angry, argue and turn away every relationship we have . . . because He knows there is great power in the joining of loving hearts. When we join together in loving relationships with other believers God is also there to empower us.

”For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” ~Matthew 18:20

Now that we’ve finally learned why we need to forgive those that have hurt us… join me next week as we discover how we can all become more like God by asking; How can I ever change?

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