This is the most common spiritual bondage. In our experience, some have a much greater capacity toward unforgiveness than others. An inability to forgive leads to resentment, bitterness, internal torment, demonization, and even chronic illness. This could be manifested as headaches, muscle spasms, or various stomach problems. Unforgiveness can also become internalized anger, eventually causing depression. If not internalized, unforgiveness can manifest itself outwardly as uncontrolled outbursts of anger.

Many times, forgiving those who have severely harmed us is the last thing we want to do. I once met a man in New Orleans whom I will call Larry. We were working in the New Orleans City Union Mission, trying to minister to the homeless. The mission gave everyone who came for meals a Bible. Many of these individuals coming to the mission knew the Bible well, even better than most Christians. Some of these men would ask us questions only God could answer. It was a sport to them; trying to trip up the suburban Christians who were coming to witness to them. Larry was one of these well-versed hecklers.

Larry’s sandy colored hair was always unkempt, and his clothes were very tattered. He noticeably favored his left side when he stood, but we didn’t know why. Each day before lunch, my ministry partner and I would visit with Larry in the parking lot. And each day, he asked the typical rhetorical questions like “If God is such a loving God, then why …?”

He had obviously read the Bible to some extent, so one day I asked him: “Larry, since you know the Bible so well, why haven’t you accepted Christ as your Savior?”

He answered without hesitation: “Because I know if I become a Christian, I must forgive.”

Wow! I thought, if only the members of the church owned that same revelation. If members of the church could only forgive, we wouldn’t have nearly the marital problems, broken families, church splits, domestic violence, and addictions we suffer through so regularly.

We eventually heard “the rest of the story”. Larry’s older brother shot and killed their parents. He also shot Larry in the left side of his stomach before turning the gun on himself and committing suicide. Larry was the only survivor of the carnage. He experienced multiple health problems because of the gunshot wound to his stomach. His inability to forgive had festered and grown until he was consumed with bitterness.

When we left the mission, he was still in bondage to his unforgiveness. Larry’s bitterness kept him from ever getting very close to anyone else, and consequently he didn’t have many friends. The last time I saw him, Larry was a homeless, lonely, angry man. The Bible Larry knew so well says, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14–15).

We had the opportunity to share the principles of what forgiveness is—and what it is not—with the residents in the mission. Larry was not a part of those studies. I pray that someday he will learn these principles:

God Gave Us One Pill

By Andria Heese

God gave us one pill to make all our aches and pains go away. This pill outdoes all other medical prescriptions for depression, stress, pain, and sickness. It trumps name-brand ointments for unhealed wounds, cuts, and bruises.

Though available to everyone, it is unknown to most of the world, and it sits in its container, unused. Some who are aware of this pill choose to take it, while some ignore it, and others try to find alternative ways to get better. This pill sits in its container, waiting to be taken so we can reap the benefits, but we must make the choice to reach out our hand and take it.

Often our injuries are so painful that we feel nothing could ever heal them, especially not a pill with a warning label that says we will experience intense initial pain while the healing process is taking place.

This pill can sometimes be very tough to swallow, and you may even need someone to hold your hand while you take it. You might also need a shoulder to cry on while the pill goes to the very heart of your wounds and heals them from the inside out.

Some of your smaller wounds will be taken care of instantly, but the bigger ones take a while to heal. For some wounds, you may need to take the pill more than once, because some wounds can reappear over time. Once it is administered, though, the aches and pains of the old wounds are replaced with lasting relief, contentment, and peace. The weight of these wounds is lifted from your body, the scabs and scars have been turned back into unblemished skin, and the bleeding is stopped.

By taking this pill, we are fully healed, and all our brokenness is made whole again. This is one pill that can be taken with the assurance that no shame will ever come from overdosing. It’s not an illegal drug we have to import across the border; it is available to all of us and free of charge. God gave us all one pill, and this pill is forgiveness.