To err is natural, to forgive is supernatural!
When you forgive others of their wrongs, you are not necessarily doing them any good but setting yourself free to live life to the full. When you choose not to forgive, you store up in your heart bitterness, anger and hatred. All these can lead to emotional stress with resultant health complications. On the other hand, forgiveness conveys peace, answers to prayers, joy, health and long life.
I have a story to buttress the power of forgiveness. Naomi, a successful lady was married for over seven years without having children, because she refused to forgive her stepfather of the evil he committed against her. When she was about twelve years, she lost her father, and her mother got married again after a few years. At the time she was sixteen years, she was sexually abused by her stepfather. Naomi grew up hating her stepfather with the whole of her heart and refused to forgive him. Ten years later, she got married to a very promising young man. Seven years down the line there was no child, even after series of medical investigations showed that she and her husband were healthy enough to have children. On one fateful day she met with Christ and surrendered her life totally to him. She prayed to God to give her children. God revealed to her she has to forgive her stepfather and set herself free to receive her heart desires.
Naomi prayed for grace to forgive him, and for the first time told her husband how she was abused by the man she called her father. A month later after forgiving her stepfather and living in peace in her heart, she became pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy.
‘Forgiveness doesn’t make what happened to you right; it means you have made a decision not to let it control your life.’ God cannot bless you if you have an unforgiving nature. Don’t think forgiveness is a sign of weakness. It’s an attribute of the strong.
‘To forgive a wrong is actually the best revenge.’
Lesson: To err is human but to forgive is divine and life giving.