The Releasing Power of Forgiveness

We crave to be forgiven. We struggle to forgive. But surely those are personal matters. Does forgiveness (or “unforgiveness”) affect our professional success?

I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been very good about segregating my personal life from my professional life.  I am who I am in whatever I do.  If I’m holding on to some grudge, it stays with me whether I’m bathing the dog or composing a blog post.  If I’ve offended somebody (colleague or total stranger), I’m “tore up inside” until it’s resolved…not much good for anything else.

As Edwene Gaines states in her book The Four Spiritual Laws of Prosperity, “All sorts of studies indicate that negative thoughts, feelings, words, and behaviors affect our mental and physical health, our success, and our self-worth.  An unwillingness to forgive is like stabbing ourselves with a knife and expecting the person who did us wrong to feel the pain.”  Forgiveness is Edwene’s Third Spiritual Law of Prosperity.  If we refuse to forgive, she says, we cannot feel truly worthy of having the best God can give us; we cannot—and will not—accept God’s gifts.  Extrapolating a bit, I say we cannot—and will not—achieve success if we don’t make forgiveness a daily practice.  Note:  I’m talkin’ about forgiveness of others and oneself!

The themes of love and forgiveness run throughout the Bible.  A sampling:

Luke 6:37: “Forgive and you will be forgiven.”

Colossians 3: 13:  “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

Ephesians 4:32:  “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

If I refuse to love and forgive myself…if I refuse to love and forgive you…, then I’m at risk of closing myself off to receive the peace, joy, and prosperity that God longs to bestow upon me.  Seems like a no-brainer.  Why risk it????

Allow the releasing power of forgiveness to change your heart.

And success will surely follow.