From your personal experiences, what are the benefits of forgiving someone who h

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   Inspired Heartposted 10 years ago

   From your personal experiences, what are the benefits of forgiving someone who has hurt you?
   
   When people hurt us deeply, we sometimes find it difficult to forgive and let go of lingering offense. But research indicates that there are benefits when we forgive. Even more, the Bible instructs us to forgive, so that our heavenly Father may forgive us (Mark 11:25).

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   Mekenzieposted 10 years ago

   Great question and one I have written a hub about.   When we do not forgive we harbor bitterness, unrest, anger and pain.  When we make a choice to forgive (we don't have to feel it - it is a choice we make) we are set free from the chains the bind us to the person or situation that tormented us and held us captive. 
   I had a friend who taught me a forgiveness prayer.  As I prayed that prayer (every time the situation crept up in my mind) God changed my heart.  By the third time I prayed that prayer I actually wept for the person who caused the pain knowing his life was filled with anger and pain.  I prayed that God would show his love to ____.   
   Forgiveness is so important to our emotional health and also to free us to love others and to walk with the Lord in freedom and joy.

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      Inspired Heartposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks Mekenzie. Wow! What a wonderful testimony. I look forward to reading your hub on forgiveness.

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   Carola Finchposted 10 years ago

   One best benefit is freedom from resentment and emotional pain.  I am taking my life back and am no longer wasting my precious time being angry and plotting revenge.  Forgiveness also helps me keep my relationship with God as a Christian, as the verse states.

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      Inspired Heartposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks Carola, the idea of taking my life through forgiving is awesome.

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   dashingscorpioposted 10 years ago

   Forgiveness means to let it go.
   In other words you're no longer going to allow it to dwell on your mind, You're wiping your hands of it. Much like a lender who decides to "forgive" a debt. They've decided not to invest anymore time trying to collect their money.
   Having said that it does not mean they will turn around make them another loan down the road. There is a big difference between "forgiving" and "forgetting". To forget something is to throw away a (valuable) lesson.
   In fact I will go as far as saying it's possible to forgive someone and choose not to associate with them any longer. It's possible to forgive by letting the hurt go and the person who hurt you. Forgiveness is all about (freeing your mind) to focus on other things in your life.

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      Inspired Heartposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks dashingscorpio for your response.

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   Mr. Happyposted 10 years ago

   The psychological pain we may feel ("deeply hurt") is created by our own mind. Nobody is sitting there creating pain for your mind, or mine. If someone lies to me, or says a bad word to me, I have a choice to get angry, to feel insulted, hurt, etc. Or, I have a choice to not care of other people's opinion because I cannot control other people's thoughts - I can only control my thoughts and my feelings. Thus, "I smile while I'm bleeding" - I wrote a hub on that some years back.
   
   Being hurt is in the mind, just as being Happy is in the mind. So, yes forgive others and forgive the self for whatever negatives we may perceive/come up with - no point in being hurt, crusty, angry, etc. We do not have much time on this planet for such things (in my opinion).
   
   Cheers! : )

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      Inspired Heartposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for your response Mr. Happy. The choice is ours to forgive, let's use it.

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   Bk42authorposted 10 years ago

   For me it was finding peace. Over the years I've come to understand that forgiving a person doesn't mean you're saying that what they did was ok, but it means you're not letting it control your life and how you view and deal with others.

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      Inspired Heartposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks Bk42author, let go of the bitterness, anger, etc., and be truly free to move on with life.

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   lone77starposted 10 years ago

   Forgiveness gives us freedom from the chains of resentment.
   
   Forgiveness raises us to the level of spirit, not shackled by the continuity of tit-for-tat and karma (dying by the sword by which one has lived).
   
   Forgiveness is the generosity that breaks us loose from depending on physical things. Instead, we can rely on God and creation.
   
   Forgiveness gives us the state of love and love really is the answer.
   
   Forgiveness allows us to take 100% responsibility for anything anyone has done to us, making it not only effortless to turn the other cheek, but impossible to become a victim.
   
   Forgiveness helps to wash away the poison of the forbidden fruit.
   
   Forgiveness puts us last (humble) so that we may be first in the eyes of the Heavenly Father.

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      Inspired Heartposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for responding lone77star, forgiveness really breaks the chain that binds.

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