There are a LOT of things we do to uplift ourselves physically, mentally, and spiritually. We go to the gym, we count our calories, we talk to our friends and for some, we talk to our shrink so that they can tell us how all of our problems stem from a rough childhood. We go to church to hear the choir praise God and to hear the preacher spread the Word, but there's something everyone can do in the quiet of their own home...forgive.

Up until a few months ago, I always had the thought that it's good to forgive people, but when I forgive someone, I'm doing THEM a favor because my forgiveness means I'm not mad at them anymore and I won't spend idle time plotting out their impending revenge. It hit me last night that forgiveness isn't meant for the person you're forgiving, but forgiveness directly affects YOU! Now of course, you probably don't want to believe that and you might think I'm a little off, but the proof is in your thoughts and actions. Think about anyone that has done you wrong and whether or not you've forgiven them, think about how they made you feel when you were angry with them. Did you call them every name in the book? Did you want to flip the phone off anytime they called or did you think about slapping the taste out of their mouth if you ever ran into them? Any ill will you felt is EXACTLY why forgiveness is for you. Anger, frustration, and contempt will eat away at a person's mind and heart so much that it can lead to physical sickness so when you carry around hostility for a person, you might hurt them a little bit, but you're doing more damage to yourself.

"For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." Matthew 6:14-15. So if we forgive men, God will forgive us. The biggest argument that can be made to this statement is that Jesus was already crucified for all of our sins both past and future, but the reality is that as humans, we still screw up. On top of that, it was a group of humans just like us who feared Jesus and decided to crucify him. Jesus knew that he was going to die for the sins of man and even while he was on the cross he still prayed for OUR forgiveness. "Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment and cast lots." Luke 23:34

So the moral to this is that even though we are only human and even though we all make mistakes, we can and should humble ourselves to forgive either for the effort to be more Christ-like or simply to save our own peace of mind because when we are able to forgive someone, we are able to better ourselves.