But since God has forgiven me, I forgive you. Because forgiveness deals honestly with sin, it brings a freedom that no amount of excusing could ever hope to provide. When we refuse to forgive we become bitter people. In other words, forgiveness is at the core, the center of our emotional health and spiritual growth. Their bitterness is a disease of the spirit, and it is inevitable that the unforgiving person eventually will experience physical illness as well.
Anger causes surges of adrenaline and secretes other powerful chemicals that attack the body.
The stress we carry when we refuse to give or receive forgiveness affects our hearts, minds, and bodies. To make matters worse, both rage and depression contribute to obsessive behaviors such as overeating, workaholism, overspending, and even addictions to pornography and mood-altering drugs. We cannot rid ourselves of emotional pain and its side effects unless we are willing to forgive. Unresolved anger keeps us from moving forward because it locks us in a time machine, frozen on the exact moment when a particular offense occurred. Fear of further injury makes us unwilling to move to new levels of relationship, not only with those who have hurt us but with anyone who represents a similar threat.