By Marlene MacBean

“Forgiveness is the key to a healthy life. “
Forgiving others can be one of the hardest things we face in life! The pain and hurt others cause us is real and great. But, the pain of living with bitterness and unforgiveness can poison our souls and destroy us. When we forgive others, we are not  saying what they did is ok, but we are releasing them to God and letting go of it’s hold on us.Colossians 3:13 says Bear with each other and forgive… so the Lord has forgiven us for our sins, so we ought to forgive other for hurting us.

We not only just forgive, but when we do we have peace with ourselves and with God. Matthew 6 vs 14 &15 says if we forgive others, then our heavenly Father will forgive us. We will not receive forgiveness unless we are able for forgive others. Ephesians 4 vs 31 & 32 says we must get rid of all the malice, bitterness,  anger and be kind to each other , forgiving them as Christ forgave us. Forgiveness is key to a healthy lifestyle

Forgiveness purifies us from all unrighteousness.  God is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins if we confess to him 1John 9 and Acts 3:19 Clearly says,  Repent and turn to God so that our sins maybe forgiven and wiped away, that times of refreshing may come. When we are free from sin we are renewed and that how we  will feel when we forgive someone. In a nut shell God is saying come to me and I will give you rest.

I will forgive you and give you peace that passes all understanding.  When we turn to Jesus, it will be much easier to forgive someone that hurt us, because we will reflect on how he forgave the thief on the cross and even us for our sins. God is a God of compassion and mercy. So we must be compassionate to others. Let’s practice forgiveness so we can have a healthy life in God and be at peace with each other. Forgiveness is key to a healthy lifestyle.