The Madness of Unforgiveness: Forgiveness Protects my Heart

by David Chadwick

Forgiveness puts justice back into the hands of God. It allows you to bless those who curse you.

Forgiveness also protects your heart!

Unforgiveness leads to madness. God never intended for you to absorb the depth of pain that offense and bitterness place on a human being. It’s a weight that’s all consuming and crushing.

Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”

I love the word vigilance. It’s somewhat of a militant word that shows a tremendous level of responsibility on our part. Often, my daughter will look at her kids and say, “Guard your gates.” When she says this, she’s imploring them to guard their eyes, their ears, their mouth… and their hearts.

Everything in life flows from the heart! As you’ve heard me often say, “The heart of the matter is a matter of the heart.” God did not design for our hearts to hold onto hate. Our hearts are supposed to be a source of life, not a container in which bitterness and resentment dwell.

You can think of forgiveness as a spiritual drain cleaner. It flushes out hatred, anger, resentment, and bitterness.

But once the bad stuff is out, something else must enter. That something is love. The eternal love of Jesus must fill us where bitterness once resided. His love will coat and protect your heart from further “clogs,” so to speak.

Consider the cross. Ponder the depth of God’s love for you.

It’s this love that allows us to love our enemies, the ones who have hurt us (Matthew 5:44).

My dear friends, Jesus loves you so much. Let his forgiveness of your sins flood your heart with love and gratitude. Then, you will be able to love your enemies with supernatural love. This can’t happen in your own strength. But Jesus’s love in you, flowing through you, to your enemy…that can happen…and is life-changing!

Jesus’s love dwelling in us allows us to follow his command.

Choose forgiveness. It will make your heart whole.

So it will be well with your soul.