forgiveness |fəˈgɪvnɪs| noun [ mass noun ]the action or process of forgiving or being forgiven: she is quick to ask forgiveness when she knows she was in the wrong.

Forgiveness is such a powerful thing when it comes to our relationships with God, other people, and even ourselves. Forgiveness is not only an action, but a way of life. When you truly understand what forgiveness is, you begin to see it as an act of love–and a way of choosing to live in complete freedom and wholeness.  

“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:13

Forgiving someone for an offence that intentionally (or unintentionally) hurt you or someone you love, is extremely difficult. But the benefits of forgiveness truly outweigh the consequences that result from hanging on to our offences.

“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Matthew 6:14-15

The act of forgiveness is a biblical concept and the Bible is full of verses urging us to live in this way. But let’s dive into why forgiveness is so important to God. Why does He care so much about us forgiving one another??

Forgiveness and your Health
Holding an offense and unforgiveness toward another person is actually scientifically proven to cause physical health issues. Whether it is a tiny argument you had in the morning with your spouse, or an unresolved conflict with a former friend or family member, unforgiveness is affecting you in ways you might not even realize.

Chronic anger keeps you on edge, and results in changes in your heart rate, blood pressure and immune responses. Those changes can result in depression, heart disease, and even diabetes! It’s no wonder to me, if God wants us to live in complete health and freedom, that He would command us to forgive.

Forgiveness can reap huge rewards for your health including: lowering the risk of heart attack, improving cholesterol levels and sleep, reducing pain and blood pressure, and is proven to significantly lower anxiety, depression and stress.

I know this personally, because my own mother was enslaved to unforgiveness for a long time, and it eventually started affecting her overall health. She shares her story of complete forgiveness in freedom in the Love Generation video attached here. Her heart transformation and life are a perfect example of what God can do with someone who is willing to obey, even when it is difficult and seemingly unfair!

Living in Forgiveness
Forgiveness is not just about saying the words. It is an active process in which you make a conscious decision to let go of negative feelings (whether a person deserves it or not). As you release anger, resentment and hostility–you will begin to feel empathy and compassion for the person who wronged you. You’ll begin to see them the way God sees them–resulting in major growth and maturity in your own life!

It is not something you will do one time, but something you will have to continually walk in–most likely, every day! When a hurt or pain has gone deep enough into our hearts, it can take a long time to let go and give the pain fully over to God. But the Bible tells us that revenge and justice are not ours to run after. It is God’s job to right the wrongs, and deal with the unjust motives of others. It is only our job to forgive!

“Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, ‘I will take revenge; I will pay them back,’ says the Lord.” Romans 12:19

Before we learn to forgive we have to learn to trust that God is in control. When someone has done something wrong to you, you are called to pray BLESSING over them. Praying a blessing over someone that hurt you is hard, and it will taste just like tar coming out of your mouth (at first), but this is what God tells us to do!

We all need forgiveness. We are all imperfect. We have all made mistakes, and will continue to for the rest of our lives. (Welcome to being human!) Let’s learn to be gracious with one another, forgiving as quickly as God forgives us–and making allowance for others’ imperfection, and our own.

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:31-32

True forgiveness brings joy. It results in a life of peace. I pray God will help you to LET GO of all offences today, so you can live in complete freedom!

My prayer for you today:
Dear Lord, I pray that you would help us to LET GO of any and all offences that we might be holding onto so tightly. Father, if we truly trust in you, then your word says that revenge is yours and that you will turn ALL things around for the good of those who love you and are called according to your purpose (Romans 8:28). We trust in you and give all offense and unforgiveness to you to deal with. Help us to forgive as quickly as you do, so that we can live in complete freedom. Amen!

XO-
Sabrina  

My beautiful Mom has overcome many things like being a single mom of three, learning to forgive and receiving the miracle of health which have impacted her life for the better.

In the video below, she focuses on her feeling of being her own captive due to distrust and bitterness. She had to learn to forgive, and through that forgiveness, she received a miracle! Her testimony is powerful! I fast forwarded to the ending for you, however, feel free to start the video from the beginning to hear her whole story!