Un-forgiveness is excessive baggage that we do not have to carry, yet we unwittingly make the choice to do so every time we choose not to forgive. It is costly and expensive. It costs us relationships. We lose out on joyous occasions. Resentment and contempt grow, and take up an invaluable place in our hearts, and bitterness clouds our judgment, laying claim to our emotional space, because we are prone to look for opportunities to even the score. It costs us our freedom, ensnaring our emotional state of mind with anger that can manifest at the wrong time and at the wrong people. Un-forgiveness is a root, that offshoots to other sins.
Forgiveness, on the other hand, is like a breath of fresh air; the fragrance that allows us to breathe better, think better, love better, and live better. It puts us in a better frame of mind. When we forgive, we make way for our own forgiveness before God for our offenses against him, and God knows we need lots of forgiveness.
When we choose forgiveness, we choose a better way of life for ourselves, by abandoning the baggage that un-forgiveness delivers, freeing up space for greater joy and intimacy with God, and we discover the power that forgiveness holds to a life of endless possibilities (Matthew 6:12, 14-15; 18:21-22; Mark 11:25; Colossians 3:13).
If you are struggling with un-forgiveness today, now is the time to talk to God about it. Confess it to him, ask for his help, and be willing to take the next step towards forgiveness (John 1:8-9).