Oh my goodness. It's amazing what you find on the Interweb ......
Here’s a fact: Bitterness caused by unforgiveness is a spiritual disease. If we or someone close to us had a physical disease we’d sit and talk and pray with them about it. We wouldn’t pray once and forget. We’d keep it in prayer and reach out to them for support. For some reason, we underestimate the negative impact of bitterness on our lives and don’t make it a priority in our daily spiritual routines.
Telling someone to forgive is a lot like telling them to eat their spinach. They intellectually know that it’s good for them and that it would probably benefit them somehow and in some way, but the bottom line is that it’s just not fun to do.
We tolerate our bitterness. We embrace it. We learn to cope with it. We fantasize about revenge.
Unforgiveness causes bitterness, which permeates our thoughts, feelings, and choices in a profoundly destructive way.
It’s not until I sat with my friend and said, “Let’s pray about this unforgiveness together.” We began to pray on a daily basis about it and we noticed he began to truly receive healing and peace in his heart and mind. Praying about unforgiveness is something that friends and family should be doing together.
One of the best ways you can show someone your love is to help them receive and give the gift of forgiveness. It will set them free and help them engage fully in their relationship with God and others.
