Total Forgiveness: When Everything in You Wants to Hold a Grudge, Point a Finger, and Remember the Pain - God Wants You to Lay it All Aside

by R.T. Kendall

the introduction to this book we noted that the teaching and carrying out of forgiveness has been recognized as valid and therapeutic even outside the realm of the Christian faith. You will recall the Daily Express article about the course in Leeds.1 The reason for this course, which was paid for by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation, was apparently the belief that forgiveness can be good for your health. Holding a grudge, it is said, leads to illnesses ranging from common colds to heart disease because of all the stored-up anger and stress. Dr. Sandi Mann, a psychologist at the University of Central Lancashire, believes that there is a strong link between our emotions and our immune system. All of this goes to show the benefits of forgiving people—even if we were not motivated by Jesus and the New Testament! Here are ten steps to freedom, as found in the Daily Express article: Stop excusing, pardoning, or rationalizing. Pinpoint the actions that have hurt you. Spend time thinking of ways in which your life would be more satisfying if you could let go of your grievances. Try replacing angry thoughts about the “badness” of the perpetrator with thoughts about how the offender is also a human being who is vulnerable to harm. Identify with the offender’s probable state of mind. Understand the perpetrator’s history while not condoning their actions. Spend some time developing greater compassion toward the perpetrator. Become more aware that you have needed other people’...