07/25/2026
Because of our need to feel secure, we sometimes erect invisible boundaries to keep other people from getting too close. Unforgiveness is one of these walls. It’s meant to keep out the one who wronged us, but it also keeps us imprisoned in the self-destructive consequences of bitterness.
At times it’s obvious when someone is harboring unforgiveness: Mention the offender’s name, and all sorts of negative emotions bubble to the surface. But other times an unforgiving spirit may not be so apparent. A person might wonder why he feels critical or distrustful, without realizing these emotions are symptoms of something deeper.
Unforgiveness is like a balloon. If we try to suppress it in one area of our life, it will pop out in another. It not only causes emotional, mental, physical, and relational problems, but like any other sin, it stifles us spiritually. John warns that anyone who claims he’s in the Light but hates his brother stumbles around in the darkness, his eyes blinded to his true condition (1 John 2:9-11).
We either hold onto our “right” to have vengeance, or we release it to God. The first choice leads to a miserable prison of our own making. The second results in glorious freedom, restored joy, and restful peace.
Adapted from “The Promise of Forgiveness” by Charles F. Stanley
