The world needs forgiveness. But what does it mean to forgive? Furthermore, how is forgiveness powerful, and how does forgiving help you?
Forgiveness: What It Is, How Forgiving Helps
What is forgiveness? Furthermore, how does it help you?
Rick Warren
Forgiveness is in short supply, it seems. Looking around the world today, it’s easy to get depressed about all the evil happening. Good people are being killed and murdered by fanatics and extremists. Fear grips whole neighborhoods, cities, countries, and the world.
Given this, is it any wonder that your thoughts may tend toward the negative, revenge, punishment, and never forgetting? Where does forgiveness fit – if it does – in today’s world?
What Is Forgiveness?
A brief definition of forgiveness is letting go of hatred, bitterness, and grudges. The truth is that evil has always existed, as has good. They are two sides of human existence. Like nature’s birth, growth, death, and rebirth, good and evil will always exist.
However, that doesn’t mean you give into evil, infusing it with power. It also doesn’t mean that you go about your life as if evil doesn’t affect you or forget about the evil done to you, your loved ones, your family, or others.
Besides, just as you cannot live in fear, you cannot live with built-up animosity, hatred, and mistrust. That only leads to a desire for vengeance, which is not at all Christian or based on any form of spirituality.
How to Forgive
How can you forgive when you’ve been so hurt? Whether physically, emotionally, or psychologically, the harm that evil does is often devastating, long-lasting, and difficult to overcome. However, finding your way out of this maze and learning to embrace life and goodness again is possible. This begins by seeing what good comes out after bad things happen.
How to Let Go of the Past
While this seems incredibly difficult, especially for certain horrific acts, there’s always good that you can find as a result of evil. For example, following terrorist attacks, people often bond and commit to thwarting further terrorist attacks, vowing to continue living their lives – not in fear, but in joy and hope.
Besides, while exercising diligence and being constantly aware, they share stories of coming together, reaffirming friendships, strengthening relationships, and helping others who’ve suffered so much. This is a clear case of some good coming out of evil.
- Prayer can help you let go of the past and learn to forgive.
- Being with friends and loved ones who share your values also helps forgiveness.
- Surround yourself with those who support your hopes and dreams, which makes forgiving easier.
How Forgiveness Benefits You
After you forgive yourself or someone else, you immediately accrue benefits. Even though they may not be readily apparent, forgiving can bring about:
- Better and healthier relationships.
- A strengthened immune system.
- Decreased blood pressure.
- Improvements in heart health.
- Boost in self-esteem, self-worth, and happiness.
- Reduced depression symptoms.
- Better mental health.
- Reduction in stress, anxiety, and hostility.
