Forgiveness

July and August seems to have been months of focus on the issue of forgiveness in the of a believer. I am not sure if it has been my studies in Genesis on the Life of Joseph that has attracted me to readings on the subject or if it is my personal passion to be a man of forgiveness and a pastor of those who are forgiving? Read the following comments from researcher Edward Hallowell:

"You should learn to forgive for exactly the same reason you should quit smoking, work to lower your cholesterol, go on a diet to lose weight or take up exercise to control your blood pressure. Forgiving improves your life by improving your physical and emotional health and by increasing your chances of living longer. If that isn't enough reason to forgive, consider that living in anger and resentment can be as bad for you as smoking cigarettes or having high blood pressure or an elevated level of cholesterol. In other words, high blood pressure and resentment can kill you... Scientific studies show that angry, resentful people have heart attacks more frequently than those who forgive more naturally. People who harbor anger and resentment are more likely to erupt and lose control, and they are more prone to violence. They are more likely to self- medicate with alcohol and other drugs, and they are less able to make positive human relationships that last."