“Forgiveness is Healthy!”

In a newspaper I read, while we were looking at colleges for Ruth, it was reported that “Clarence and Charles Atten of Dedham, Massachusetts, feuded bitterly for 25 years.”

The newspaper further explained: “The feud ended this week when both brothers died – at the same hospital, less than two hours apart, both of cardiac arrest. Clarence was 61; Charles was 56. In the last 10 years, according to their wives, the brothers spoke only twice – once when their mother died, and again when a sister died. During their mother’s illness nine years ago, each brother visited her, but they refused to be in the same hospital room at the same time.”

Stories like this often cause us to point out the stubbornness of others. The truth is, however, there is a little of all of us in this story. In fact, a number of years ago Better Homes & Gardens noted: “Most Americans think it’s important to forgive. But in reality, less than half of us try to do so.”

Many Christians probably don’t try very hard to forgive others because we feel forgiving others is not very important. God, through His forgiveness, opens heaven to us. What more could God give us? Much more! You see, forgiveness also impacts your everyday life in a very practical way. Even secular studies dramatically reflect this.

Now, we’re not suggesting that forgiveness or any other spiritual matter can be scientifically studied. Nevertheless, God can use secular observations as a wake-up call for each of us.

After a study of 13,000 men and women, Circulation magazine reported that “anger-prone people were three times more likely to have heart attacks or bypass surgery than less angry folks.”

Also, following a seven year study of middle aged men, the University of Michigan learned that “men who were better at defusing anger had half as many strokes as angrier men in this 7 year study.” Again a research study from the University of Pittsburgh found that, in women with chest pain, those who harbored feelings of anger were four times more likely to have unhealthy levels of cholesterol and a higher body mass index, which are linked to heart disease.

One additional study found that “forgiving for selfish reasons had only short-term healing benefits.”

So, let’s receive these provocative secular studies as a “gracious wake-up call from God.” These studies are indeed a reminder that the blessings of God’s forgiveness are not limited to opening the gate of heaven. God’s forgiveness in Christ affects us each day. God forgives us and empowers us to forgive others thereby improving our health. Maybe we need to put a sign in our home beginning with the bold statement: FOR GOOD HEALTH, LESS HEART ATTACKS, LOWER CHOLESTEROL: “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Eph. 4:31, 32

Forgivingly yours,