"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes."
~Ephesians 6:10 (NIV)
None of us make it through this life without being affected by the actions of other people. Often actions hurt us deeply. (Even if you pretend that they don't).
We all experience times when it is really easy to angry, bitter, and resentful towards another person. The truth is that sometimes it is hard not to.
If we allow bitterness will begin to take over our lives. Bitterness is consuming. It will swallow you up if you allow it. It will begin to take over every part of your life. And if you are not careful it will camp there for a really long time.
The thing about bitterness is it won't change the past. But it will most certainly change your future. Bitterness keeps us from enjoying the present and causes us to wallow in anger over the past. It is like a poison in our veins and takes over our ability to live in the moment. It is s spiral that if we allow it won't just affect your life, it will affect everyone around you.
"Watch over each other to make sure that no one misses the revelation of God’s grace. And make sure no one lives with a root of bitterness sprouting within them which will only cause trouble and poison the hearts of many"
~Hebrews 12:15 (the Passion Translation)
Bitterness consumes your mind. We begin to rehearse what we would say if given a chance. We think about what we should have said. We carry on all these imaginary conversations that won't stop playing through our minds. It destroys our minds. It keeps us from experiencing what God has for us.
Life is unfair. Trust me I get it. Maybe you feel like you deserve to feel bitter. But I promise that by choosing bitterness, you also choose to give that person or situation that hurt us to continue to cause us pain. It is like standing in front of the pain, holding out your hand, and saying "Here's my joy. It's all yours!"
I am not dismissing your pain. I am not saying you should just "get over it". I am not saying that what happened to you is no big deal. Your pain is valid. I am however asking that you would look at how much time and energy you are still giving to that thing or person that hurt you.
You have a choice...
Bitter or Better?
Being better means...
Choosing life
Choosing freedom
Choosing joy
Choosing to be present!
But only you can make the choice. And sometimes we have to make that choice daily. Sometimes we have to make that choice many times throughout the day.
Don't let whoever or whatever hurt you continue to steal your joy for one more second!
Release it to God. Know that he will take care of it. And chose to leave it behind you!
I am not going to promise it will be easy. It probably won't be at first. But I do promise that you will begin to move forward. Freedom from the pain. Freedom from what has been shackling you to the past. All you have to do is reach out and grab it.
Jesus wants you to live a life free from bitterness. Not because what happened to you is ok. But because what happened to you was covered by his blood when he hung on the cross. See, he did that for you. He died for you. He died on that cross to take on your pain. He died so that you wouldn't have to walk through life with a burden so heavy.
Bitter or Better, you choose!
And when the ugly monster of bitterness tries to sneak back in... Choose again!
"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, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."
~Ephesians 4:31-32 (ESV)
