THE ART OF FORGIVENESS
sickness, headaches, and poor health. Yes, bitterness is a terrible thing. It is like a festering wound that never heals. It is a scab that when picked begins to remove the healthy skin around the wound. Bitterness causes someone trouble and begins to strain the relationships with those they are close to. Living with bitterness blocks us from truly loving others.
Distrust
“What loneliness is more lonely than distrust?” ~ George Eliot
Distrust is another one of the significant results of unforgiveness. Anyone around the bitter person can be a target of distrust. The hurt or offense that planted the seed of unforgiveness, which grows into a root of bitterness, becomes the lens we look through, even with those closest to us. We can begin to think that everyone is going to hurt us in the same way. We believe we are the only ones we can trust and this inevitably leads to an exhausting and lonely existence.
Insecurity
“The reason why we struggle with insecurity is that we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel.” ~ Steven Furtick
Insecurity is an outcome of unforgiveness. We begin to believe we are the reason why we were hurt or offended—that no matter what we do, our situation will always end up the same. Insecurity strangles out the healthy aspects of any relationship, as we become emotionally unavailable to give or receive love or care.
Have I gotten your attention yet?
Unforgiveness leads to bitter people, who are those who have never let go of a past offense or hurt. Instead, they build up walls in their hearts, become distrustful of others, and allow insecurity to rule their emotions. Maybe they were hurt by…
a family member
a church
a pastor
a friend
an ex-spouse (or current spouse)
someone of another ethnicity