There are so many toxic chemicals and environmental stressors that can adversely affect your body’s health, but did you know that there are toxic emotions that can wreak havoc on your physical wellbeing too? This week I want to talk to you about the power of forgiveness.  

I recently was reminded of some toxic emotions from my childhood, after I went to a Girl Scout event with my youngest daughter, who has just joined a troop.  From the very beginning of the all day event, I felt triggered and emotional. Wanting to understand what could make me feel this way, I asked the Lord for insight. Suddenly, memories of my time in Girl Scouts came to mind and I remembered how I had been bullied by a couple of girls in my troop. There was a particular instance that was most vivid for me. Without going into details, the girls basically ruined the sack lunch I brought and my brand new sleeping bag in a mean prank. Those girls sent me a message that I was unwanted and did not fit in and that made a deep imprint on my life, even beyond that camping trip.  I remember being so upset, and comforting myself by eating about two dozen cookies over the course of the trip. This pattern of reaching for food when I need comfort has stuck with me through the years. It’s a strategy that doesn’t really work and doesn’t support your emotional or physical health.

Even more than emotional eating, unforgiveness and holding onto hurts from the past, can take a big toll on your health. Medical studies have been conducted to see the effects of unforgiveness.  It’s been found to initiate an attack on your immune system and trigger your fight or flight response which stresses your adrenal gland. For people with forgiveness issues there is an increased risk for depression, heart disease, and diabetes, as well as added stress on your brain and internal organs. According to the author of the Forgiveness Project, 61% of all cancer patients have forgiveness issues, with half of them having severe problems with unforgiveness. Beyond how your emotions feel, your body pays a price when you hold onto unforgiveness.

If you’re ready to let things go and forgive the hurts of the past, you can expect positive results in your emotions and your body. When you live a life of forgiveness, you can expect your cholesterol levels to improve and to get better sleep. Forgiveness has been found to relieve pain in your body and help your blood pressure.  It can also lower your risk for heart disease and heart attacks. If you truly want wellness in your life, then it’s time to get a strategy to help you let go of the past and forgive the hurt that has happened.

If you’re ready to let things go and forgive the hurts of the past, you can expect positive results in your emotions and your body.

Whether you need to give forgiveness to someone who has hurt you, or even ask forgiveness for what you’ve done wrong, here is a quick exercise that can help you practice this life giving discipline.

1. Think about the event or person that needs forgiveness applied. You don’t need to be with the person to practice forgiveness. Much of forgiveness happens between us and God. You may feel prompted later to actually talk to the person, but you should ask for guidance and wisdom for any further action.
2. Say aloud “I forgive ______ for doing this or that.” Or if you need to be forgiven, say aloud “I’m sorry for doing this or that to _________.”
3. Repent. This simply means that you want to change your mind. If you’ve held on to unforgiveness, tell God that you are ready to change your mind and want to think like He does and let those things go. If you’ve been believing a lie about yourself because of the hurt you received, change your mind about that too. Ask God to help you think the way He does about other people and yourself.
4. Bless the situation and people involved. Pray for God to bless the people that hurt you and to release them into total forgiveness. You may need to even forgive yourself and ask God to release you from being tied to the situation.

If you’d like another resource to walk you through forgiveness, I recommend The Special Blessings Prayer by Donna Partow.  It takes you through the process and helps you inventory and systematically practice forgiveness in your life.

As for me, I have forgiven those girls from my Girl Scout troop and I have prayed blessing over their lives. I also forgave myself for believing that I wasn’t worthy of friendship and rejected that lie. Forgiveness is good for your soul and spirit, but it is also great for your body. Invest in your wellness, and start forgiving today.