To Forgive or not to Forgive

To err is human, to forgive is divine.  - Unknown

Forgiveness is one of the hardest things for us to do, but one of the most liberating when done.  Forgivness is hard because we feel justified in feeling angry due to the offense.  Yet, as justified as we may feel, it is important to keep in mind a few things:
1) Forgiveness or the lack thereof can affect you physically and spiritually.  Forgiveness is as much about the forgiver as it is about the perpetrator.  It is a known fact the forgiving someone not only liberates the person forgiven, it liberates the forgiver.  Holding a grudge is like a cancer that continues to grow until it totally shuts down the body.  If you allow grudges to fester they will eventually leave the person bitter and anger. 
2)  Lack of forgiveness can affect future relationships.  Because unforgiveness leads to bitterness and anger, many people will right you off.  Not many people can take a negative diatribe every day.  When something smells awful, you try to get away from the object that smells; likewise, the stench of bitterness is hard to take, even to the unforgiver.  The unforgiver will even go as far as to apply unforgiveness and lack of trust to someone who has never hurt them thus pushing them away. 
3) If you are a believer, unforgiveness will affect your relationship with God.  God will not forgive someone who will not forgive others.  The story is told of a servant who owed his lord thousands of dollars.  Unable to pay it, the lord showed him mercy and forgave him even though he could have had him and his whole family thrown into debtors prison.  That same servant, on his way home, ran into a fellowservant of his who owed him a few dollars.  He grab that man by the throat and had him and his whole family thrown in Jail.  When the lord found out, he went and had the servant and his family punished.  God is the Lord in this story and we are the servant; not to forgive after we've been forgiven is a crime and a shame and unacceptable by God.
4) Forgiveness leads to a fruitful and peaceable life.  You stop giving the perpetrator control of your life and take it back when you forgive.