Holding Grudges - Its Affect On You

Let go of your grudges, move closer to the light.

Holding Grudges - Tracey's first husband beat her every time he got drunk. After four years of abuse, she left him and got divorced. One weekend, when the children were staying with their father, he crashed the car and killed their eldest daughter. Tracey's bitterness turned to hate!

Not only had these events and her reaction to them taken an obvious and dramatic toll on Tracey's emotional well-being, it affected her physical well-being, too.

Here grude lasted a long time. A friend told Tracey that her hatred and bitterness from the past was robbing her of happiness. Still Tracey struggled with forgiving herself and her divorced husband, until she received Jesus's forgiveness.

Jesus's forgiveness holds the promise of peace of mind. The Bible says, "If we confess our sins... he (Jesus) will cleanse us from all the wrong we have done." 1 John chapter 1 Verse 9. And holding grudges, even when events seem to justify them greatly, is a wrong that at a minimum we do against ourselves...

As Tracey was watching the movie "The Passion of the Christ," she was greatly moved as she learned that Jesus suffered and died in order for her to have her sins removed. The Bible tells us that Jesus's forgiveness is received as a gift.

When a gift is offered to you it becomes yours, when you reach out and take hold of it. Tracey took hold of and received Jesus's forgiveness when she asked him to forgive her of her sins. At that point, Tracey was released from her sins. She'd been forgiven of her sins, and now it was easier to forgive her former husband and gain the peace of mind Jesus promised. Holding grudges no longer has a place within her heart.

Forgiveness releases you - it brings easy recovery.

When Tracey received Jesus's forgiveness and released herself and former husband in forgiveness, she was healed emotionally and physically.

In the Bible, Jesus said: "Forgive and you will be forgiven." Luke 6:37. The literal translation of this Bible verse is 'release and you will be released'. Let go of your grudges and you will in return be let go to move on with your life.

If you really forgive someone, you no longer blame that person, even though they may be guilty of that sin.

If you do not blame a person, you cannot resent them.

If you do not resent them you cannot hold any bitterness in your heart.

If you do not hold bitterness then you do not get all emotionally tied up with anger and hate towards that person.

If you do not hate, then you do not stay emotionally and physically bound with illnesses!

Forgiveness is a choice and, in a sense, is the opposite of holding grudges - a different choice.

In Biblical terms, forgiveness is the loving, voluntary cancellation of a debt. It is like when someone 'owes' you, but you choose to cancel the debt. Matthew 18:24-43

It does not matter how long ago the hurtful event occurred, how wrong they are or how many times we are hurt. The Bible says we must forgive them so God can bless and forgive us. "If you forgive others their sins, your Father in Heaven will also forgive you your sins."

Do not use the excuse that you are waiting until you feel like forgiving - it will probably never happen. It only hurts you if you continue to let your emotions rule your life. Forgiveness is a choice!

If you are holding grudges within you - stop the hurting within your heart. You can find forgiveness for yourself and for those who have harmed you.

About the author:  Wilma Watson has a passion to help people reach their maximum potential through making spirituality simple and fun. She is the producer of the cartoon website: Ydyc.org

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