As a Christian an unforgiving heart toward those who have wronged us is one of the most dangerous positions to be in because of a host of negative consequences. I think Max Lucado summed up the situation quite well when he said: “Forgiveness is unlocking the door to set someone free and realizing you were the prisoner!”1 Not only will we forfeit the freedoms that come with a forgiving spirit, but we place ourselves back in a prison filled with resentment, bitterness, and bondage. Below are just a few of the dangers that an unforgiving heart will bring upon the Christian.
Physical harm
When we harbor unforgiveness in our heart this almost always leads to resentment, anger, and bitterness. These negative emotions over weeks, months, and years will literally eat away at every organ in your body causing all kinds of health issues from stomach ulcers, to high blood pressure, and even cancer. It has been scientifically and medically proven that these negative emotions cause our bodies to undergo major stress. And stress is without a doubt the number one cause of premature death in our society.
Sleepless nights
Another feeling that an unforgiving heart manifests toward those who have hurt us is hate. And hate, according to Dale Carnegie brings with it the following: “When we hate our enemies, we are giving them power over us: power over our sleep, our appetites, our blood pressure, our health and our happiness. Our enemies would dance with joy if only they knew how they were worrying us, lacerating us, and getting even with us! Our hate is not hurting them at all, but our hate is turning our days and nights into a hellish turmoil.”2 And as we all know if we don’t get a good night’s sleep for more than a few days it can cause all kinds of issues.
An ineffective prayer life
(Psalm 66:18) says: “If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.” Well, an unforgiving heart clearly falls under the umbrella of iniquity. And I am totally convinced that if we harbor thoughts of unforgiveness toward people, we seriously jeopardize having our prayers answered. The ramifications for an ineffective prayer life, as you can imagine, are simply enormous. Dwight L. Moody summed it up well when he said: “I firmly believe a great many prayers are not answered because we are not willing to forgive someone.”3
Our fellowship with the Lord can dry up.
While we will not lose our salvation by exhibiting an unforgiving heart the sweet fellowship with Jesus that we all want to experience as Christians will be severely damaged. I think the main reason is that when we practice unforgiveness it shows God that we don’t truly understand what Jesus did for us at Calvary. Imagine how Jesus must feel – He died to forgive us a lifetime of sins and we won’t forgive others who have done, what often amounts to, some tiny inconsequential wrong. I believe an unforgiving heart is an ungrateful heart and is extremely displeasing to the Lord. Thus, our fellowship with Jesus, is in desperate need of repair, and without our practicing forgiveness, quite frankly, don’t count on ever experiencing the joy of the Lord.
As Christians not only will we suffer from the above damages to our life but we will forfeit the peace of the Lord, not hearing the voice of the Lord, and sadly, not being very used of the Lord in building up His kingdom. On the other hand having a thankful and forgiving heart is the best way I know of to release stress, sleep like a baby, have a powerful prayer life, and enjoy a deep and intimate relationship with Jesus. In closing I would like to say that forgiveness is not only necessary to enjoying our walk with the Lord, but in a sense a little selfish. I wholeheartedly agree with author, Lawana Blackwell, who made this astute observation: “Forgiveness is almost a selfish act because of its immense benefits to the one who forgives.”4 Forgiveness is a very wise investment – I pray we realize while it may be emotionally difficult to do, the consequences of not doing it will literally, not only steal our peace and joy, but have eternal negative ramifications.
1 TOP 25 FORGIVENESS QUOTES (of 974) | A-Z Quotes (azquotes.com)
2 TOP 25 FORGIVENESS QUOTES (of 974) | A-Z Quotes (azquotes.com)
3 TOP 25 FORGIVENESS QUOTES (of 974) | A-Z Quotes (azquotes.com)
4 TOP 25 FORGIVENESS QUOTES (of 974) | A-Z Quotes (azquotes.com)