The Hardest Work We Will Ever Do (But – the most important)!

The Summer Olympics was completed a few weeks ago.  If I could choose one thing in which I want to win a gold medal in, it would be forgiveness.  I want to be a world class forgiver.  I personally think a successful life is not really possible without becoming excellent at forgiveness.

There are a number of sayings about forgiveness that ring true.  A couple of them are:

• Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and hoping the other person will die.

• When you release the wrongdoer from the wrong, you cut a malignant tumor out of your inner life. You set a prisoner free, but you discover that the real prisoner was yourself.

• Unforgiveness turns into resentment, cynicism, and bitterness.  It binds us emotionally and spiritually.  It also can stress us physically to the point of crippling us.

I have heard it said, and I agree, “It’s all about relationships.”  Dr. M. Scott Peck, after his very successful book, The Road Less Traveled, wrote a number of books, including The Different Drum:  Community Making and Peace.  In this book he stresses the important of connectedness and wholeness of community in achieving any kind of mental, emotional, or spiritual health.   When God made Adam, he said it was not good for him to be alone.  Before Jesus really started his ministry, he found 12 men to take the journey with him.  It really is all about relationships.

Being married for 40 years, I have some experience with relationships and the importance of forgiveness.  I don’t care how much we might love someone; we are going to hurt them.  We are human and we all make mistakes and sin against God and our fellow human beings.

Without being a world class forgiver, quality, long term relationships are impossible.  If there is one thing I want to be good at, it is forgiveness.  Without being good at forgiveness, I cannot enjoy the emotional and spiritual wholeness that God has in store for me.

The forgiveness work we may need to do may involve more than just family and close friends.  We may have to forgive coworkers, institutions, governments, churches, judges, deceased parents; the list is endless. 

I do think the hardest work we will ever do is forgiveness.  I also think it is the most important.

To be continued next week – stay turned!

Dr. David R. Sain, DDS
www.smileteam4u.com