Not forgiving is like drinking rat poison and
then waiting for the rat to die.
~ Anne Lamott

What are your thoughts? Do you think forgiveness is an option? Based on what we’ve learned so far and based on what we’ve been told in Matthew 6:14-15:

If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly
Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others,
your Father will not forgive your sins.

I’d say no, forgiveness isn’t an option.

Well . . . actually, let me take that back. I suppose forgiveness is an option if we:

• Don’t want God to forgive our sins and live forgiven
• Want to live bound in shackles of bitterness, resentment, and pain
• Don’t want to live in freedom
• Don’t want to show Christ’s love to others
• Want to live physically unhealthy from symptoms of unforgiveness

Just to name a few. I think we get the idea!

Friends, when we’re leashed up to anger, unforgiveness and resentment . . . do you realize what we’re dragging around through life with us? Here’s a story that illustrates this point well:

It’s a beautiful day so we decide to spend some time at the local park. While we’re there, we find a bench in a lovely area and sit for a while. But we soon discover we’re not alone on this bench. Instead, our constant companions unforgiveness, anger, bitterness, resentment, and pain have decided to join us. A while later, when we get up to walk away, we realize all that junk is still with us. It’s tied up to the bench, and tied up to us and if we won’t release it from our lives, it’s like literally dragging a park bench of ugly emotions through life. Exhausting.

Forgiveness is the gift of freedom. Forgiveness is the ultimate gift that money cannot buy.

For give ness.

But back to the original question . . . is forgiveness an option? I suppose it is. After all, we’ve been given free will.

Maybe a better question is, “Do we really want to live a life burdened by unforgiveness?”

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