A thought by Jentezen Franklin from his book, Love Like You've Never Been Hurt: Hope, Healing and the Power of an Open Heart (p. 53). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)
Have you found this to be true?
Jentezen says, “This is an absolute: Hold on to a grievance or hate as if your life depended on it, and I will show you emotional, spiritual and even physical decay.”
He goes on, “Research has consistently shown links between the mind and body. What we think about manifests physically. According to the Mayo Clinic, holding a grudge has a negative effect on the cardiovascular and nervous systems. One study has shown that people who thought about an offense regularly experienced high blood pressure, elevated heart rates, and increased muscle tensions.
“On the contrary, here is what you get when you forgive: healthier relationships, greater spiritual and psychological well-being, less anxiety, lower blood pressure, fewer symptoms of depression, a stronger immune system and improved heart health. Seems like a pretty good deal. And a no-brainer.”
He then says, “Releasing the emotional burden of unforgiveness can even result in a physical unburdening, as discovered by authors at Erasmus University, the National University of Singapore and the University of Maryland, who collaborated on a pair of studies. In the first, they asked participants to estimate the slope of a hill. Those induced to feel forgiveness perceived the hill to be less steep than the group induced to feel unforgiveness. The second study was more active. Participants were tested on a vertical leap. Those who forgave jumped higher than those who did not forgive.
“The weight of unforgiveness will drag you down. It is too heavy a load to carry in the race you are called to run. So stop keeping score. Start losing count.”
As Jentezen earlier said, “Forgiveness is not about keeping score. It’s about losing count.
So, why not start losing count?
Yes, yes!
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