Toxic Unforgiveness

What is really toxic is our unwillingness to accept responsibility for our own actions and our unwillingness to forgive.

By Greg Laurie, Op-ed contributor Thursday, January 12, 2006

"You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people; You have covered all their sin." —Psalm 85:2

We are the most litigious society on the face of the earth, with about 80 percent of the world's attorneys living in the United States. More people graduate from law school than from any other professional academic course of study in the entire nation. And what do attorneys do? They sue and defend, for the most part, because there is no forgiveness. We're not willing to say, "It's all right. I forgive you."

And what is really toxic is our unwillingness to accept responsibility for our own actions and our unwillingness to forgive. It's worse than toxic; it's sinful. Let this not be said of us, God's people! Unforgiveness will eat you up spiritually and, in many ways, bring your spiritual life to a standstill.

Unforgiveness is choosing to love hate. It produces bitterness, anger, rage, anxiety, and depression. Simply put, it is sin. Instead, we must forgive. Forgiveness, on the other hand, is like taking a piece of pottery and smashing it into a thousand pieces. There is no way it can ever be put together again.

God is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and truth, and forgiving of iniquity, transgressions and sin (see Exodus 34:6–7). That is our God. He forgives.

You might say, "Greg, that's God. God forgives. But I'm just a person. I'm flawed. I can't forgive like that."

If you want to become like Jesus, then you should reflect His character. God has said that if you confess your sin, He is faithful and just to forgive you of your sin and cleanse you from all unrighteousness (see 1 John 1:9). God has said it. And as His representative, you can do the same.

Used with Permission