Teach Us to Forgive

Anger, bitterness and the pursuit of revenge change the people they in slave. Pinned up anger can cause physical problems, disturb sleep, eat away at the soul. For many years, bitterness in my own life stunted my Christian growth.

Two things in the last few days have reminded me of the heavy weight these vices cast upon individuals who refuse to forgive.

For our homeschool American Literature class my daughter and I just finished reading The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. At the start of the book Roger Chillingworth has been wronged. But, by the end of the book he is the villain of the story. Why? Roger Chillingworth chooses to make revenge his sole purpose in life eating away any goodness the reader may have once admired.

Sadly the second thing in the last few days that reminds me of the terrible weight an unforgiving spirit has over individuals comes from real life.

An older widow I call friend has been wronged, very seriously, more than once in her life. My heart goes out to her. I am sorry bad things have happened, but I am even more concerned for the person she has allowed herself to become.

Nathaniel Hawthorne named his character well, Chillingworth. There is a chill that surrounds my friend. She holds everyone at arms length who tries to help her. It is discouraging and sad to be around her. Share with her God’s desire to help her forgive and she turns a cold shoulder.

This woman is miserable. She chooses isolation over fellowship which makes her plight the more dismal. Occasionally there is a spark of joy in her life, but her dogged resolve to keep company with anger quickly puts it out.

Heavenly Father, teach us the freedom of forgiving. Help us follow Your example.

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32 – NKJV)