–at the end of the Lord’s Prayer it states to forgive.

Forgiveness is important for healing. Bible verses on forgiveness show it is also a sign of real love. Not surprisingly, scripture has much to say on forgiveness.

Dealing with hurt, anger, and temptations to "set things right" are common challenges faced in society today. The lasting feelings of anger, bitterness – and even vengeance, from  wounds caused by friends, loved ones, and acquaintances can lead to toxicity and even illnesses. When we don’t practice forgiveness, we may be the ones who pays most dearly.

Your forgiveness of someone that has wronged you, no matter what the wrong may have been, is not dependent on how you feel about the situation, or the person involved. Most people refuse to forgive someone who has hurt them, thinking that it will "serve them right" for what they have done. They believe that the other person deserves to suffer from the broken relationship, and sit waiting for them to apologize for all of their" evil doings". Well, it’s actually just the opposite. When you don’t forgive someone, you are the one who is actually suffering, whether you realize it or not. This is where toxicity comes into play. It eats at your internal emotional well being.

Many people become physically or emotionally ill because they are stuck with the toxicity that accompanies not forgiving someone else. In fact, the other person might not even know that they have offended or upset you.

Forgiveness is something to be done out of obedience. It is all about how GOD feels about it; He said to ‘pray’, and He said to ‘forgive’.

In the Lord’s prayer – Matthew 6:12,14,15, we are given the power to forgive sins; also in Luke 11:4, and in Matthew 18:18-22.

Forgiveness is not an act of the intellect it is a condition of the heart; but in most cases, forgiveness needs to be intellectually understood and carried out, until the act of forgiving becomes a condition of the heart.

We may need to pray our own Gethsemane Prayer – Matthew 26:39, letting God know exactly how hurt, angry, and desirous for vengeance we feel for the wrong that has been done to us. In the end, however, we need to do the same as Jesus did – that is, submit to the Will of God; it is for our benefit that we do so. This will release the toxins and free you of what is holding you back to walk a more Godly path.

When we have been wronged by people, God is dealing with us, not them; God is trying to teach us the full meaning of forgiveness; and God is taking us to a higher plane of understanding.

Only by forgiveness, can the healing of the wound suffered take place.

Call it a test of God if you want to, but if you fail this test, by holding on to the pain, hurt, anger, and feelings of vengeance, you will have to take the test over again, because we are told to forgive; it also keeps the venomous toxicity alive in your body.

Matthew 5:25,26 shows what happens to us when we decide not to forgive: when we retain someone’s sins, instead of forgiving them, we will be bringing them to God on the Day of Judgment – as their accuser; because they have un-forgiven sins against them – thanks to you, you then become responsible for these un-forgiven sins. You then, would have un-forgiven sins against you also, as per Matthew 6:12,14,15.

The hard truth is that if we do not forgive those who have harmed us, God will not forgive us. In a world filled with sadness, financial burdens, loneliness, hurt, anger, and selfishness, the unforgiving heart is so full of toxicity that the body becomes weak from the burden of grudges, entitlement and pain.

Toxic people in our lives need to be forgiven gently by restoring them; its a choice.

Prayer:

“Father thank you for your forgiveness. We can never pay back to what we owe you Lord. We ask for the power and wisdom to forgive and not hold onto what hurt our feelings. In Jesus precious name. Amen.”