Why I refuse to follow the path of bitterness and hate

With all that I’ve been through it would be so easy to just let myself be bitter and full of anger and hate. However, I refuse to follow that negative path. The purpose of this blog is to explain my reasons.

(1) I am, before all else, a Christian. Jesus taught that we should forgive those who wrong us and I believe that when we choose forgiveness over revenge that this is pleasing to God.

(2)Bitterness and hate are self destructive. They prevent you from healing and moving on. By contrast, forgiveness helps you to heal and move on.

(3) I don’t accept the popular line that your forgiveness should be for your own sake and not that of the person who wronged you. That’s just selfishness pretending to be forgiveness. Your forgiveness should be for the sake of both yourself and the person who wronged you and also for the sake of others who may be affected.

(4) I don’t accept the idea that you should only forgive after the other person apologises or otherwise shows remorse. When Jesus was crucified those responsible were certainly showing no remorse. Yet the words he spoke on the cross still echo down the centuries. FATHER FORGIVE THEM FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO.

(5)Even the worst of wrongdoers may yet repent and become a better person than they are now. I believe that my dad has already repented. ( He’s certainly apologised and shown remorse). It would certainly be unfair to hold the person he was against the person he now is. There’s a reason why Jesus told us to pray for those who mistreat us and I believe that the reason is because God wants them to come to him in repentance and that is what we should be praying for. It would be so easy to harbour hatred for the people who put me through twelve weeks of hell. The transporters who kidnapped me from my bed. The cruel and sadistic staff at the wilderness program. Especially the grown man who punched me in the face and the person who refused to give me first aid and forced me to hike in agony with a knee injury. It would be so easy to harbour hatred and anger but what would that really achieve? Nothing at all. My prayer is that every one of them can one day stand in God’s presence with their many sins completely forgiven.

Before I finish this blog I just want to say that if you are struggling with anger or finding it hard to forgive someone then ask God to help you with it. When we pray with the right motives he is more willing to hear our prayers than we are to offer them.