Lies That Unforgiveness Tells Us
Here are some reasons why we should challenge our beliefs about unforgiveness.
Forgiving others is something I have struggled with a lot in my life. I grew up in a dysfunctional family with neglect and emotional and physical abuse. In my long (too long) life, I have experienced rejection, abandonment, bullying, and destructive criticism. To forgive or not to forgive was a difficult question to answer.
I am not alone. There is a lot of debate about whether we should pardon other people. I see many articles both for and against it. So is holding onto our anger and hurt harmful or healing? I had the additional challenge of my religious beliefs, which demand I forgive others.
After exploring this topic in my own life, I have discovered that unforgiveness tells us that it can empower us, holds people accountable, punishes perpetrators, and demands justice. I believed this when I was in my early 20s. I was an angry person and a walking volcano, spewing lava when I least expected it. I was really good at being sarcastic and passive-aggressive. My hurts were wounds that were close to the surface. It did not take much to trigger me into full-blown emotional pain.
Eventually, I tired of always being so angry. I was sick of life hurting me all the time. My thought life was constantly invaded by righteous indignation. I…
