“He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.” (Ephesians 1:7, NLT)
We live in a fallen world, and because of that, we face the realities of hurt and offense. The words and deeds of others can wound us to the core in indescribable ways. Things like neglect, abuse, violence, betrayal, and cruel remarks can cause bitterness and resentment to infiltrate our hearts, and although it may not be our intention, unforgiveness is a result.
An offense laced with unforgiveness is like an arrow dipped in poison. The offense slashes through our defenses and hurts us in the moment, but the aftermath of unforgiveness remains long after the event takes place. Its bitter poison seeps into our veins, tainting our thoughts and clouding our vision. If left unchecked, it will eventually penetrate our hearts and paralyze our ability to live, to love, and to be loved. When someone does wrong to us, unforgiveness feels like the right response—after all, shouldn’t they have to pay for the offense? But harboring unforgiveness is actually like drinking poison and expecting another person to die; it just doesn’t work.