Have you ever tried to get rid of weeds in your garden? You’ve ripped them all up, your lawn looks perfect and then two weeks later, some little ugly leaves pop up again! Why? Because the root hasn’t been dealt with. If any trace of root is left they’ll keep popping up over and over again.
An unforgiving spirit is like a root branching out in all directions, affecting every area of our life. Lopping off the leaves by repressing the pain and resentment isn’t a long-term solution, because like a weed, bitterness can continue to grow and reproduce as long as roots are in place.
When we’ve been deeply hurt, we sometimes resist offering forgiveness, thinking that a pardon excuses the wrongdoer and downplays the severity of the wrong done to us. But that’s not what forgiveness is—it’s letting go of both the offense and our right to demand payment, with the acknowledgment that vengeance is God’s responsibility, not ours (Rom. 12:17-21).
Stubbornly refusing to forgive may seem like a way to get even,but it’s actually a poison that harms us. It puts a damper on our ability to enjoy life, and like any sin, erodes our fellowship with the Lord.Unforgiveness affects our health, results physical illness, anxiety, or depression. This festering poison that has no mercy on anyone that gives it fertile ground to live in. It will destroy you.