Forgiveness and its merits

We all have been hurt by someone, a friend, a relative, a colleague, a partner, a neighbor. And time doesn’t always heal our wounds. The pain remains and the anger increases. They say that revenge is a dish best served cold, but have you ever considered of letting go?

Forgiveness is a hard but wonderful thing! Have you ever considered it instead of revenge? As an Orthodox Christian myself, I’ve been taught that forgiveness, together with love, should be the basic principles of our lives. Jesus Christ left us with two major guides: To love our fellow man and treat everyone the same way we would like to be treated, and to unconditionally forgive everyone. Two simple rules that open the doors of Heaven!

Forgiveness is important in many other religions as well, not only Christianity. It sure is a hard thing to practice. It doesn’t mean that you have to forget the fact that caused you pain, but it does mean that you are letting go of all the anger, all the negative thoughts and you are not asking for revenge. You are dismissing all the evil whispers in your mind. You are not asking anything in return, not even an apology.

Forgiveness is not just an action. It’s a state of mind, it’s a way of life. And it has so many merits! It helps your mental health; it gives you peace of mind. It helps your emotional balance and it improves your relationships. It helps your self-esteem and, moreover, it reduces the stress in your life. Holding a grudge will only make you feel depressed and it will have negative effects on your health. Not only on your mental health, but also on your physical health!

Many surveys were contacted through the years on the subject and the results were amazing! Forgiveness can help lower your blood pressure. It also helps your heart, literally! People who don’t hold a grudge, have lower heart rates and they live longer! They sleep better too, a vital step for good overall health. They also develop a strong immune system.

So, even if you are not a religious or spiritual person, you should consider of making forgiveness your way of life. You will be amazed by its results. It’s not easy, I know. It takes time and persistence. But it rewards you in so many ways!

What are your thoughts on the matter? Please, share them on the comments. I will gladly respond to them.

17 thoughts on “Forgiveness and its merits”

  1. Certainly, forgiveness does work wonders! Oh, and I didn’t expect to find another Orthodox Christian around~!

  2. That was nice. Jesus Christ spoke with simplicity
    and love.

    ΙΗΣΟΥΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΝΙΚΑ

    1. Jesus Christ spoke simply, so that anyone could understand Him. He came to save us, not to puzzle us. ΙΧΝ

    1. Being positive and forgiving! Anger and hatred are always bad for our body and, mainly, our soul.

  3. Beautiful written post! Forgiveness is one of the secrets of life, but is very hard to do sometimes. You can know and understand that you need to forgive someone, but for one reason or another stop yourself from doing it. Another topic to explore perhaps is the inability or unwillingness to forgive.

    1. Forgiveness is very hard sometimes. But we should try it. After all, usually the most rewarding things come with hard work. 🙂 Thank you for the nice suggestion for another topic. Very nice idea! I will definitely write it.

    1. Forgiveness makes us better persons! Imagine how our world would be, if we all were more forgiving!

  4. Just forgive others as you wanted to be forgiven… It is hard sometimes but when you forgive someone you will forget bad memories associated with that person/place/event. So be a forgiving person 🙂

    Thank you for amazing article

    1. You are so kind! Thank you! I believe in forgiveness, although, I won’t lie, it’s hard for me to practice sometimes. But I keep on trying. We all should.

      1. Thank you so much Dear! I can understand and I agree that it is hard. It happened with me as well, but the day I started forgiving things/people, I strat loving/enjoying my life * 1000 times more <3

        1. Yes, I agree with you. From my experience, your life becomes so much better, when you are forgiving. But sometimes it’s harder than others! Some things leave deeper wounds. They need more time and we have to try harder! It’s a fight worth winning though! 🙂

    1. I think most of us know the importance of forgiveness, but we don’t always practice it. So, it good to be reminded from time to time! 🙂

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