SUICIDAL WOUNDS

The worst wounds that can ever be inflicted upon us are those we inflict upon ourselves by our decision not to forgive those who have wounded us. Unforgiveness is as dangerous as cancer. It eats away at us from the inside. It deprives us of our peace of mind. It holds us in perpetual bondage to the person who wounded us, and the Bible makes it clear that those who do not forgive will themselves not be forgiven by God (Matthew 6:14-15; 18:21-35). Thus, when we choose not to forgive—not to let go of—something that is eating us up, we commit spiritual suicide. And the suicidal wounds of unforgiveness can be fatal to the quality of our lives now and even affect our eternal destiny. We may not have had a choice over the actions of the people who inflicted painful wounds upon us. But we do have a choice over how we respond: We can either choose to forgive them or choose to remain in their bondage. And let’s not forget this: Jesus didn’t die for us alone, He also died for those who have wounded us. Do they deserve forgiveness? No. But then, do we?—Samuel Koranteng-Pipim