I suspect that there is no one who needs to look very far to uncover an incident in his life that brings a sense of bitterness to mind.
It is a deadly stress. (Along with guilt, anger, lust, greed, envy, and fear)
I was reading about bitterness in several books. They all agree that harboring bitterness affects health, digestion, and the bones. It's ugly.
Why then, do we find it lurking behind a curtain of thoughts? Why wouldn't we purge it from our hearts and minds, never to re-visit the terrible memories?
Why would we knowingly jeopardize our lives with unresolved heartache?
It's one of those things that can only be fought with spiritual grace and power. The human condition, evil, is prone to breed all sorts of bitterness, just as we deal with sin. People without Christ have little spiritual power to fight the bitterness monster within.
They can drown it in addictions. They can wallow in it. They can try to forget----but then it pops up again, the dark grimace fleetingly showing.
Better to deal with it. Better to forgive, to love, to find the source of destruction and give it to God. He may direct you to embarrassing confessions---but what freedom and joy will follow!
Let God work it out of you. Be free of that pain through His might.
Daily choose to forgive. Each new moment of painful memory choose God's power over destructive evil. This is one of those battles that must be fought minute by minute.
And don't let down your guard! When that enemy jumps out at you be ready for it. Choose righteousness.
It is a deadly stress. (Along with guilt, anger, lust, greed, envy, and fear)
I was reading about bitterness in several books. They all agree that harboring bitterness affects health, digestion, and the bones. It's ugly.
Why then, do we find it lurking behind a curtain of thoughts? Why wouldn't we purge it from our hearts and minds, never to re-visit the terrible memories?
Why would we knowingly jeopardize our lives with unresolved heartache?
It's one of those things that can only be fought with spiritual grace and power. The human condition, evil, is prone to breed all sorts of bitterness, just as we deal with sin. People without Christ have little spiritual power to fight the bitterness monster within.
They can drown it in addictions. They can wallow in it. They can try to forget----but then it pops up again, the dark grimace fleetingly showing.
Better to deal with it. Better to forgive, to love, to find the source of destruction and give it to God. He may direct you to embarrassing confessions---but what freedom and joy will follow!
Let God work it out of you. Be free of that pain through His might.
Daily choose to forgive. Each new moment of painful memory choose God's power over destructive evil. This is one of those battles that must be fought minute by minute.
And don't let down your guard! When that enemy jumps out at you be ready for it. Choose righteousness.
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