“Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.” – Ephesians 4:26
Forgiveness and gratitude are two essentials in our emotional lives. They are two pillars of all healthy relationships. If we do not turn loose our unresolved conflicts in a spirit of forgiveness, they will follow us wherever we go. This will cause emotional leaking, draining us emotionally and spiritually.
A daughter feels angry with her aging parents because they drift into senility and infantile behavior, causing her to spend time and energy on their care that she would rather be investing in her own family. When the parents die she feels a mixture of relief and guilt. She feels ashamed that she was so impatient with them and wishes she could take back things that were said. Because of a lack of gratitude, children leave home angry with their parents, only to discover that the emotional conflict follows them, no matter where they go.
When we find ourselves ungrateful for difficult circumstances that we must face, it may indicate a lack of forgiveness towards others and a misplaced anger or resentment towards God. These feelings will not grow better with age. If we are unwilling to view unpleasant circumstances as a test or even a gift of God, it will cause us to hemorrhage emotionally and do damage to our relationship with God. Emotional and Spiritual health can only be maintained by developing a spirit of forgiveness and gratitude.
