Forgiveness without Apology

 

Why You Should Forgive Even Without an Apology.

Unforgiveness is like carrying a heavy load around that you don't have to. It takes away things from you that it can never replace; joy, happiness, peace, etc. When you forgive someone, you release yourself of that burden, because you are carrying the weight of the person's offense and still the pain that they cause you, that is why it is necessary to let go no matter who has wronged you or what they have done against you. 

We say it is not easy to forgive after all that they have done to us, and the person has refused to apologize or even accept their mistakes. That is true because apology always comes before forgiveness. 

It is true that there must be a form of regret or repentance from the offender to facilitate forgiveness; that even God does not forgive for the mere fact that we sin, but He waits for us to repent of that sin. An apology is necessary, but what if the person does not apologize or show any sign of regret or repentance for what he did? Forgiveness needs still take place. Therefore, our concentration should not be solely on the offense or the offender but the harm we are causing ourselves by holding on to this pain, because the longer we hold on to it, the more we hinder our growth and greatness. 

Remember, when you forgive someone who has offended you, it's not just the person you are doing a favor, but you are doing yourself great help, and you will be at peace. You have to forgive because:

1. It shows that you are a child of your father in heaven.

2. Unforgiveness disqualifies you as a beloved child of God born after the image of God. How do you call yourself a child of God and refuse to do as He does by forgiving all your sins? 

3. Unforgiveness stops God's voice. It destroys your relationship with God's Holy Spirit. It deafens your ears of hearing from God.

4. Unforgiveness leads to the bitterness that can cause a lot of health issues in your body against you.

5. Unforgiveness delays you from receiving your blessings and pulls you back to zero. 

Don't allow Unforgiveness to ruin your life, your relationship with God, and rob you of your breakthroughs.

 

When I forgive, I do so:

ü To become emotionally healthier. Forgiving can reduce unhealthy anger.

ü To repair relationships as it helps me to see the other's worth.

ü To grow in character because it can help me to become a better person.

ü To be of assistance, within reason, toward the one who acted unjustly. Forgiveness extends the hand of friendship even though the other may reject this.

ü To help me to assist other family members to see that forgiveness is a path to peace. Forgiving for peace, in other words, can be passed through the generations.

ü To motivate me to contribute to a better world as anger does not dominate.

ü To help me to be more consistently live out my philosophy of life or faith tradition if that worldview honors forgiveness.

ü To exercise goodness as an end in and of itself regardless of how others react to my offer of forgiving. To forgive is to exercise goodness even toward those who are not good to you.

Forgiveness is perhaps the most heroic of all of the moral virtues (such as justice, patience, and kindness, for example). I say it is most heroic because which other moral virtue concerns the offer of goodness, through one's pain, toward the one who caused that pain? Do you see this—the heroic nature of forgiving—as you extend it to others?

Health Benefits of Forgiveness

When you allow the attitude of forgiveness to mingle with your self, you will have:

o   Improved mental health.

o   Less anxiety, stress, and hostility.

o   Lower blood pressure.

o   Fewer symptoms of depression.

o   A healthy immune system.

o   Improved heart health.