“Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine and good things in others. Think about all the things you can praise God for and be glad about.” Philippians 4:8

There is a book called Forgive for Good: A Proven Prescription for Health and Happiness. I read a review recently. After five years of research, they found that people who forgive face decreased stress and fewer physical symptoms of stress. People who forgive experience greater physical vitality. People who forgive feel less hurt and anger.

They have concluded that the problem with grudges is that each time we think about the hurt or anger at the heart of the grudge, it’s a reminder of the helplessness we felt when it occurred.

Here are nine steps they recommend for moving towards forgiveness:

1. Know exactly how you feel about what happened.

2. Forgiveness is for you. Make a commitment to do what you need to feel better.

3. Seek peace, not necessarily reconciliation, with the person(s), who hurt you.

4. Get perspective and recognize that distress comes from hurt feelings thoughts, and not what hurt you in the first place.

5. When you feel upset, redirect your thoughts to that which is positive.

6. Give up expecting things from other people that they choose not to give you.

7. Instead of mentally replaying the hurt, seek new ways to get what you want.

8. Focus on goodness, love and beauty. Remaining in the hurt only gives power to the person who hurt you.

9. Rewrite the story of the grievance in your mind so you can focus on the heroic choice to forgive.

Seems to me that these steps are the very thing the Apostle Paul was telling us in the verse in Philippians 4:8.

Someone said, “The practice of forgiveness is the most important contribution to healing the world.”  What do you think?

It begins with us. How about you – holding on to any grudges? Forgiveness is good for your health! Want to help heal the world?  It begins with you.

Father, You have given us all the principles for our health and the healing of the world. You know that we always see how others need to change, but it is our attitudes that will begin to effect change. Your grace is sufficient for each one of us. Thank You that Your Holy Spirit will give us the will and the power to forgive wholeheartedly.  Amen.

by Katherine Kehler
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

• The Power of Forgiveness
• The Stumbling Block of Unforgiveness
• The Secret of Forgiveness

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The post Forgiveness is Good for Your Health appeared first on Thoughts About God.

I had already walked nearly a mile along the woods, across the creek, along a field and by the small lake when I looked up and noticed a teenage boy walking my direction. He was wearing a bright red t-shirt and jeans and when he was close enough I could read the words printed on the front. The top line said in big white letters:

God Forgives

Great! He is a Christian I thought to myself. As his next steps brought him even closer I could see what was printed under it in even bigger black letters:

But I Don’t

I could not believe my eyes. I was shocked!

We passed each other and I was already thinking of at least ten scenarios that would explain the depth of anger and bitterness that resulted in him wearing that bold proclamation.

Do people ask him what is the story behind the words on his t-shirt?

Who won’t he forgive?

Why won’t he forgive?

It would have started in a huge painful event of course…

My heart felt heavy thinking of his pain. My thoughts ran in all different directions considering what must have happened to him at a very young and tender age.

I am never going to know his story. I am never going to know who he won’t forgive. I am not going to know why it impacted him so strongly that he is declaring it on his t-shirt.

Remember the first line, he is right. God forgives. I think it is amazing that this young man put that on his t-shirt. God forgives.

I hope a time will come when the young man will choose to forgive. Maybe he will make a new t-shirt that says:

God Forgives

I Forgive

I hope he does. There is power and freedom in our forgiveness of others who have hurt us.

“Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” ~ Matthew 18:21-22  

By Kathy Cheek
Used by Permission

From: www.kathycheek.com

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The post The Unforgiving Message appeared first on Thoughts About God.