Last night my life group studied a series that Craig Groeschel did for his church called Hostage. The hostage series is about anything that holds us hostage and keeps us prisoner in our spiritual walk, things like: pride, bitterness, lust, worry and so on just to name a few.
The topic of last nights study was Bitterness and how being bitter is a poison that not only harms us but spreads like a root and effects those around us.
Bitterness is triggered by a wrong done to us by someone and grows and consumes us when we don't properly deal with it through forgiveness.
Ephesians 4:31-32
Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
The only way to get rid of bitterness is to forgive!
Granted, I realize that some things are hard to let go of and even harder to forgive but this is the example Christ left for us when he died for us.
One of the examples used in the video was a comparison of a man that was terribly offended and when he went to someone to see how it would be possible to forgive that person the counselor asked him all the things that he did against God. Compared to the list of the offender the list quickly outgrew anything the offender did to him. "God still forgave you all of this." Not only that but he wishes the best for you too!
While we were still sinners Christ loved us enough to die for us and forgive us of all the wrongs we'd ever done and all those that we were yet to do. While he was making that sacrifice for our sins he still wished the best for us!
Who do you need to forgive?
Who in your life has caused you to be bitter and caused those bitter feelings to grow like a root and poison everything and everyone around you?
Bitterness ruins...forgiveness restores.
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