Sickness and Unforgiveness 3 Signs That You Haven’t Let Go

Are you sick?
Do you suffer from continual health problems?

Medical research has demonstrated that unforgiveness is linked to stress, heart disease, high blood pressure, lowered immune response, anxiety, depression and more (John Hopkins Medicine).

Recently, I encountered a woman who will not forgive her husband for having an emotional affair.
She suffers from a number of very intense health problems, including a second round of cancer.
Though her husband has sinned and she could blame her husband for her ill health, science and sound theology tell us that she may be inflicting her ill health upon herself.

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St. Augustine said “Resentment (unforgiveness) is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.”

Not forgiving is like throwing a boomerang at the person who injured you, only returning to hit you in the face.

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Our Lord Jesus commands us to forgive those who have injured us— from the heart.
He says that if we forgive others, our heavenly Father will also forgive us, but if we don’t forgive others, neither will our Father forgive us. (See Matt 6:14-15)

St. Paul tells us to, “Be ye kind one to another; merciful, forgiving one another, even as God hath forgiven you in Christ.” (Eph 4:32)

Why?

 

• Because He knows that unforgiveness will kill our bodies and our souls.
• Because He desires us to experience health in our bodies and freedom in our souls.
• Because He knows that when we don’t forgive, we allow that person power over us.
• Because He knows that unforgiveness enslaves the human mind.
• Because He wants us to be united to Him both now and for all eternity.

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Three signs you are drinking the poison, throwing the boomerang, giving your trespasser your headspace:

1. Unresolved Anger.

Righteous indignation is a correct response when a person has injured you…
But, if you remain angry, you will become bitter.
Bitterness fuels resentment.
Resentment sparks blame.

Who do you blame for your problems?
Identify that person or persons.
Now,  you have identified the person you have not forgiven.

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2. Vengeance.

Ill thoughts of another.
Imagining inflicting tragedy, pain, or the like on your perpetrator.
Deprecation, detraction, harsh criticism, character assassination, passive-aggressive assaults are all indications that you have not forgiven.

Who do you wish ill upon?
Chances are you need to forgive them.

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3. Self-justification.

The victim believes that they are self-righteous, and the trespasser deserves divine retribution.
The victim neglects to reflect on the ways they have injured others.
The victim hopes for the day when the person who injured them returns, groveling before them, begging for forgiveness…

This type of thinking indicates that you have not forgiven your enemy.

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Let’s stop here. It is important that we allow ourselves to be convicted of our sin before proceeding to hastily to our conversion…so we can truly appreciate the marvelous work of God’s forgiveness.

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“Nothing draws God’s grace into our lives more than the humble, patient charity we practice toward others. Forgiveness is one of the highest forms of mercy and also one of the hardest. But it is worth the effort to extend it more widely. Forgiveness is difficult, sometimes heroic, but it is indispensable. Without forgiveness, evil multiplies ceaselessly. Only the courage to forgive puts an end to evil’s growth. Also, the pain caused by someone else can only be completely cured by me forgiving that person.”

—Father Jaques Phillippe

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To be continued in a future post where I will outline the four steps toward true forgiveness.