Find out FOUR benefits of forgiveness

 

"Forgiveness is such a beautiful thing, it will  set you free."

Those were the last words I wrote to someone in an email two years ago after having a dream in which the Lord revealed to me that I needed to forgive in order to spiritually grow. It's what I would consider one of the hardest things I had to write in my life to someone who hurt me and the rest of my family for the longest time. However, taking those steps excelled my healing and growth process and that is something I will never regret because from that single action I invested into my future happiness and blessings. 

The Lord calls us to forgive one another no matter how badly the person hurt us because how can we expect him to forgive us when we cannot forgive each other? God forgave us not for his benefit but for ours and, likewise, when we forgive one another we benefit from it. 

Here are four ways that we can benefit from forgiving:

1. Forgiveness grants you Salvation 

Not only do we have salvation from Jesus at the cross but we also gain salvation within ourselves when we forgive one another. How is this possible you might ask? Well, when you forgive you are taking the action of preserving your heart from the harm that comes with holding up negative emotions. Not letting go of what someone did to you holds you captive and allows that person in some way to have power over you. It can make you relive what they did to you over and over again but when you forgive you get delivered from what that person has done, which gives you salvation from what was holding you captive. With that said, forgiveness releases you but not forgiving eats away at your heart and can affect the outcome of your life like this scripture describes: "above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it" (Proverbs 4:23). 

2. Forgiveness gives you the insight to become a better person 

When you forgive someone it automatically puts you above the other person because let's face it forgiveness is a harder thing to do than keeping a grudge, it shows a lot about your character... That's why when you are considering forgiving someone you usually say, "I'll be the bigger person." Again, look at Jesus, he is the prime example of someone who was not only spiritually above us (being that he is the son of God) but also his character, which was made perfect through love and faith. People who choose to forgive are very insightful because they have a deeper understanding that forgiving someone does not mean that you tolerate what the person has done but that you recognize the benefits, which has everything to do with you and not the other person. 

3. Forgiveness lifts heavy burdens and gives you peace 

" Get rid of all the bitterness, rage, anger, outcry, and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you" (Ephesians 4:32).

Holding on to the anger, the hurt, the betrayal of what that person did to you leaves a heavy burden on your heart and takes away your peace. In Psalms 37 God tells us not to fret because of evildoers and that their days are coming when they will reap the reward of their wicked ways, he also calls us to rest in him and forsake wrath. When you let go of all these negative emotions you gain peace in your heart, soul, mind, and spirit. Not forgiving someone can limit you from receiving closure or at least some form of healing. I know someone who had the chance to mend or get closure from his father but his negative feelings towards his father prevented him from doing it and now his father has passed away (God rest his soul) and he will never get the chance and that's something he will have to live with... You see how damaging and heavy not forgiving someone is? Forgiveness softens your heart but choosing not to forgive hardens it. This shows how important it is to forgive because life is short so why spend it holding up someone in your heart, which in all truth can make you miss heaven.

4. Forgiveness allows God to work in you and through you

Choosing not to forgive can block you from hearing and receiving from God because when you choose to not forgive it blocks God from being able to work on your heart and it also blocks you from receiving your blessings. Having an unforgiving heart also prevents God from using you to be a blessing to others and advance his Kingdom. This is why God advises to, " leave your gift before the altar and go reconcile with your brother, and then come and offer your gift" (Matthew 5: 24). So if you want to hear from God and want him to do a change in you or your life or want him to use you to help others then you need to learn to forgive, which I can attest to that and will be sharing some of my testimonies in future blogs. 

As a Christian, my job and other believers are to set the example for non-believers, as we must be imitators of Christ and forgive one another just as he forgave us. God calls us to walk in love because it's through love that Christ gave himself up for us (believers & non-believers) even when we did not deserve it. As soon as I forgave I felt a heavy burden lifted up from my heart and now I feel lighter than ever🍃

Forgiveness changed my life and it can change yours too, don't be afraid to take that next step because it will truly set your heart free❤