How Accelerated Christian Healing Can Help With Unforgiveness.
When you think about certain people or experiences in your past, do you still feel the hurt or resentment? Perhaps it has even reached the level of bitterness. It never ceases to amaze me how many clients I see, who believe they have forgiven someone, repented and even dealt with the issue in therapy, yet, still harbor the hurt and resentment years later. I personally carried around hurt from a betrayal (which manifested in a recurring tooth infection) until I was able to fully forgive and release the hurt.
It is important to keep in mind that forgiving does not mean condoning bad, hurtful or even evil behavior, it literally means to ‘let go’.
Why is forgiveness so important?
From a spiritual perspective, the Bible admonishes us to forgive others.
“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses - Matthew 6:14-15 .
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins - Mark 11:25.
Why is forgiveness so important?
From a spiritual perspective, the Bible admonishes us to forgive others.
“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses - Matthew 6:14-15 .
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins - Mark 11:25.
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you” - Ephesians 4.
Consider some of the spiritual consequences of unforgiveness:
1. By holding onto hurt and resentment, it can generate into bitterness
and self-pity, becoming become a hindrance to possessing all that God has for us in life.
and self-pity, becoming become a hindrance to possessing all that God has for us in life.
2. We start to condemn themselves because of the inability to forgive and consequently feel undeserving of anything good in our lives.
3. We start to feel disconnected from God.
4. It opens the door to the enemy and demonic oppression.
From a practical perspective, you feel so much lighter, freer and happier once you have truly forgiven.
Consider just some of the psychological consequences of harboring unforgiveness:
1. We continue to feel the emotional pain of the perceived offense.
2. We perceive similar offenses by others who remind us of the offender.
3. We may attract similar situations, people and injuries to ourselves.
4. Unforgiveness can cause us to distrust others and create a negative expectation as to how others will treat us.
5. The unresolved hurt, anger or bitterness creates stress, tension and acidity in the body, predisposing us to illness.
6. Unforgiveness keeps us stuck in the past and unable to live in the present.
Consider just some of the psychological consequences of harboring unforgiveness:
1. We continue to feel the emotional pain of the perceived offense.
2. We perceive similar offenses by others who remind us of the offender.
3. We may attract similar situations, people and injuries to ourselves.
4. Unforgiveness can cause us to distrust others and create a negative expectation as to how others will treat us.
5. The unresolved hurt, anger or bitterness creates stress, tension and acidity in the body, predisposing us to illness.
6. Unforgiveness keeps us stuck in the past and unable to live in the present.
7. We get ‘triggered’ easily and become easily offended and hypersensitive to others.
Why is it so difficult for people to forgive?
Why is it so difficult for people to forgive?
Psychological Reversal
One major reason why it is is difficult for some people to forgive is a psychological phenomenon known as Psychological Reversal (“PR”). Psychological Reversal consists of self-protective mechanisms or subconscious reasons, why it is not emotionally safe for someone to let go of their hurt or anger.
Consciously, you may want to forgive. However, as for the subconscious, it may have an entirely different objective. I have observed time and time again that many clients who have difficulty forgiving, are ‘psychologically reversed’ against doing so. What is so unfortunate for them, is that they continue to beat themselves up and condemn themselves for being unable to forgive, which creates even more problems.
In some instances, a person will unconsciously hold onto past hurt and anger, in order to remind themselves, of how hurtful relationships can be. It is a self-protective mechanism. By remembering their hurt and anger, they are less likely to open their hearts and trust anyone, thereby, preventing the possibility of being hurt in the future. Unfortunately, it can cause them to become guarded and have less than fulfilling relationships.
The emotional release work that I do, along with prayer, is very effective in resolving any psychological reversal (ie., resistance to forgiveness). With Accelerated Christian Healing, it has never been easier to forgive.
And sometimes, the person we need to forgive is ourself!
The emotional release work that I do, along with prayer, is very effective in resolving any psychological reversal (ie., resistance to forgiveness). With Accelerated Christian Healing, it has never been easier to forgive.
And sometimes, the person we need to forgive is ourself!
When we condemn ourselves for past mistakes, sins or failures, we can get stuck emotionally in the past and block ourselves from receiving future good. This is contrary to God’s will for us. The scripture says,
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us for all unrighteousness” - 1 John 1:9.
I recall a client who had sustained a neck injury in a car accident. Her injuries had failed to resolve and she was in constant pain. We were able to determine that her inability to forgive herself for driving in bad weather conditions, was impacting her ability to fully heal from her injuries. Once she was able to forgive herself for her role in the accident, her condition began to improve.
Through the years, I have worked with many women who have had abortions and experienced all sorts of emotional and physical issues, due to their inability to forgive themselves, even after they had repented. They continued to condemn themselves and carry the emotional trauma and baggage from the experience. The good news is that a woman (or the man who got her pregnant ) can heal from this experience! The enemy wants to keep these individuals in the bondage of guilt and condemnation, but Christ purchased our freedom from every kind of bondage.
Don't put off forgiveness of self or others -it's too important!
