“It’s your turn…I washed the last set of dishes!”
If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard my boys make that statement to one another…I’d be a rich woman. My kids are great but sometimes they forget. Not only is the roof over their head at no cost to them, so are their meals and every other living expense you can think of. Why are they keeping track of a few dirty dishes?
But even the best of us have a tendency to keep a record of things we shouldn’t.
In Matthew 18: 21-35, Jesus tells a story of a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.
‘A man who owed the king millions of dollars was brought before him. The servant pleaded with him and the king had pity on him and cancelled his debt.
Now this same servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him just a few dollars. He grabbed him, choked him and insisted he pay him. That servant pleaded with him but instead of being merciful like the king was to him, he threw him in prison until he could pay back his debt.
The king was furious when he heard this and turned him over to the jailers to be tortured until he could pay him all that he owed.
“This is how my Heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”
In case you missed that last statement, I think it bears repeating.
“This is how my Heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”
Jesus didn’t mince words.
Forgiving others isn’t easy. But Jesus knew that keeping a record of wrongs can literally imprison you…physically, emotionally and spiritually.
According to an article written by John Hopkins Medicine,
‘Whether it’s a simple spat with your spouse or long-held resentment toward a family member or friend, unresolved conflict can go deeper than you may realize. It may be affecting your physical health resulting in numerous changes in heart rate, blood pressure and immune response.
But when you choose to forgive, you reap the rewards. It can lower your risk of heart attack; improve cholesterol levels and sleep; and reduce pain, blood pressure, and levels of anxiety, depression and stress.’
Forgiving others can help your body heal.
Trust me, I know it’s easier to write about forgiveness than it is to put it into practice. Just this past week, as fate (and God) would have it, as I began writing this post on forgiveness, two opportunities arose in which I had to make a choice….a choice to forgive. I felt wronged and received no apology, but I knew I had a choice to make in my heart. A choice to forgive and let it go.
So whether it’s the annoyance because of dirty dishes left in the sink from this morning or perhaps the hurt of something much deeper from years ago….for our own emotional, physical and spiritual well being, we must let it go.
Father, Help us to forgive others as You have forgiven us.
-Binu
