Filed under: Conviction Hurts, Daily Living, Faith, Food, God is good, Jesus, Prayer, Religion, forgiveness, health | Tags: acid reflux, arsenic, forgiveness, God, grudges, health, Jesus, Matthew 6, resentment, sleep, Tums
I heard a great quote on the radio the other day and I had to share it. It goes a little something like this:
“Holding a grudge against someone is like taking a spoonful of arsenic everyday and hoping the other person dies”.
I think that is an absolutely fantastic quote. It is one to live by. It is also one that is difficult to master. I am guilty of holding grudges and had struggled for years with one in particular. I believe I have finally forgiven said person and I rarely think about what happened anymore, but it took nearly tens years to do so. I know my heart is healthier now that I have forgiven those trespasses against me. I also know that, had I not done so, my prayers for forgiveness would have been futile. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6 that “if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions” (vv. 14-15). Ouch!
By forgiving others, not only do we gain forgiveness from God, we also gain health in our heart, mind and bodies. Studies have shown that resentment can lead to many health problems. I am sure my grudge never helped my Acid Reflux.
Do you want to sleep better? Do you want to stop eating a bottle of Tums every week? (I mean really, arsenic can’t be good for the stomach.) Ask yourself this question; is there someone in your life you need to forgive?
