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When I begin to feel bitterness, I first of all confess that I have bitterness, and ask the Holy Spirit to uproot it out of my heart. I ask that that place be filled with mercy and love. It is not about your will power, but only about the power and authority of His Spirit to uproot it.
Bitterness happens when your expectations are not met. You need to lay your "expectations" down at the cross and give them up. Only Jesus can meet all your needs and will not disappoint you.
Bitterness happens when your expectations are not met. You need to lay your "expectations" down at the cross and give them up. Only Jesus can meet all your needs and will not disappoint you.
joy is a fruit of the Spirit as is long-suffering otherwise known as patience, it's not always happy go lucky, especially in the trying of our faith, the life of a Christian. Job and Isaiah had bitterness of soul as also mentioned in Lamentations I think when we feel these things it's time to humble ourselves before the Lord, in due time He will lift us up. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. God is love, he is the Comforter, and Prince of peace. If we can love and forgive, relent and repent as He did and commanded us to do also I think we will be alright.
D
That 70 X 7 thing was no joke. Sometimes I've taken back my forgiveness so often, it looks like it's going at high speed through a revolving door. The only choice is to give it back to the Lord, and ask for help not to take it back. Over and over and over again, until you start noticing the door slowed down. Then more until you notice you've last moments without it. Then more, then more. In some cases it's gone away. In some cases I'm up to hours between the time I've given it away and noticing I took it back. Oh, and a lot of it stems from things that happened 2-5 decades ago. Just keep giving it back over to the Lord every time you realize you took it back again.
D
WOW, Lynn,
I can't ever remember anyone in my 'now' '70's', say that
they 'took it back', this is a new-one
for me...could or would explain it to me?
I can't ever remember anyone in my 'now' '70's', say that
they 'took it back', this is a new-onefor me...could or would explain it to me?
I forgive you.
(two minutes later... he's a scum bag.)
Whoa, Lord, I forgave him. What's that all about?
(God telling me I took it back.)
Lord help me have the heart to forgive him.
(Peace returns. then he steps on my toes. All the bitterness reappears.)
God nudges me.
Peace returns.
A few days later, I have to pay a bill, realize "he" cost me money, so money is tighter...scum bag.
The people I'm really thinking of didn't simply step on my toes. Think in scale of rapist, abusive family, ex-spouse, malpractice. Worse yet, someone hurt your husband. (You are Mrs., right? lol) In my case, the ex-spouse is his ex-spouse, so I have to deal with what she did to him as often as he does. People whose hurt last a long time. Makes it much easier to take back the grudge and develop the bitterness.
We often take back our forgiveness. Anytime we bring up something that we supposedly forgave, we have unforgiven them again. Return the anger and bitterness back to the Lord's feet whenever we catch ourselves internally fuming over some true unrighteousness yet again. Until it stays put.
God's not giving it back to us. We're taking it back!
Lynn,
I can't ever remember (un-forgiving someone), maybe I might remember some more
un-pleasant things that happened after I forgave them, but that was just by-product stuff,
it really didn't interfere with my 'original forgiveness', it was just baggage that Jesus let me see,
but it didn't have any hold on me...all was said and done...of course I acknowledged my emotions
about it and then The Holy Spirit taught me how to let it go...no more dark-power over me, never again...
we must never go back - we must never stand still - we just have to live through the day and
pray to be able to handle what tomorrow will bring...Faith-Hope-Charity'...
what it will bring - we must always move FORWARD in order to claim the Victory that Christ has
given to us...this growing process does come, and the pain does leave...
I can't ever remember (un-forgiving someone), maybe I might remember some more
un-pleasant things that happened after I forgave them, but that was just by-product stuff,
it really didn't interfere with my 'original forgiveness', it was just baggage that Jesus let me see,
but it didn't have any hold on me...all was said and done...of course I acknowledged my emotions
about it and then The Holy Spirit taught me how to let it go...no more dark-power over me, never again...
we must never go back - we must never stand still - we just have to live through the day and
pray to be able to handle what tomorrow will bring...Faith-Hope-Charity'...
what it will bring - we must always move FORWARD in order to claim the Victory that Christ has
given to us...this growing process does come, and the pain does leave...
D
John quit smoking the hard way. (That heart attack that kept him unconscious for a couple of months.) BUT, even there, he was awake at the moment I was blabbing all that was wrong with him to the nurse, including he's a smoker. The nurse asked if he wanted a patch and he emphatically shook his head. So he really did choose to quit.
The Lord has graced him big time with the smoking. The desire for a cig is gone too.
And yet, when he came home it was pretty funny. He say at his computer and looked around. Something was missing on his desk. (The ashtray.) And something was missing with his usual actions. (He doesn't have to stop what he's doing to go through the process of lighting the cigarette, and then later on pick it up while he's thinking.) The first couple of nights lying on his sofa the same kinds of things happened -- an underlying feeling like he should be doing something, but he couldn't figure out what it was. (Ashtray not there, so his coffee was closer, but he didn't need that time to do all the things associated with smoking a cig. lol)
Habit. The habit was so established that even when the desire is gone, something doesn't feel right. Bitterness and anger is as two-fold as smoking. There is the addiction and then there is the habit. God releases us from the addiction/desire sometimes. But habit is still locked in subconsciously. I think I get stuck in the habit. In most cases, the desire is gone. But I held on long enough to develop habit.
And, like smoking, sometimes the desire never goes away. Divine strength to not smoke. I think some of it is that too.
Sin is as nasty as smoking.
The Lord has graced him big time with the smoking. The desire for a cig is gone too.
And yet, when he came home it was pretty funny. He say at his computer and looked around. Something was missing on his desk. (The ashtray.) And something was missing with his usual actions. (He doesn't have to stop what he's doing to go through the process of lighting the cigarette, and then later on pick it up while he's thinking.) The first couple of nights lying on his sofa the same kinds of things happened -- an underlying feeling like he should be doing something, but he couldn't figure out what it was. (Ashtray not there, so his coffee was closer, but he didn't need that time to do all the things associated with smoking a cig. lol)
Habit. The habit was so established that even when the desire is gone, something doesn't feel right. Bitterness and anger is as two-fold as smoking. There is the addiction and then there is the habit. God releases us from the addiction/desire sometimes. But habit is still locked in subconsciously. I think I get stuck in the habit. In most cases, the desire is gone. But I held on long enough to develop habit.
And, like smoking, sometimes the desire never goes away. Divine strength to not smoke. I think some of it is that too.
Sin is as nasty as smoking.