Holding onto hurt or anyone who hurts you doesn't hurt them; it hurts you. Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and hoping they feel the pain. Here's how unforgiveness can negatively affect you:

Emotionally: Unforgiveness drains you and steals your peace and joy. It can even hurt your sleep.

Physically: Unforgiveness can manifest as tension, fatigue, and even sickness.

Relationally: Unforgiveness can ruin relationships and make it difficult to trust others again.

Spiritually: Matthew 6:14-15 says, "For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." If we don't forgive others, it negatively impacts the forgiveness we receive through Christ.

Bitterness is heavy. It builds walls between you and healing. But there's good news. You don't have to carry it. Forgiveness doesn't mean that what they did was okay; it means choosing peace over pain.

Healing starts when you let God into the hurt. You can feel again; you can breathe again. Letting go isn't a sign of weakness; it's a sign of freedom.

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