Bitterness

Recently, I have been spending some time considering an issue which I suspect we all, at some time in our lives, have to deal with.

The issue I am referring to is bitterness.

I want to share a verse of scripture which gives us clear instructions how we need to respond whenever we become bitter towards another person.

In the letter he wrote to the Christians in the chruch at Ephesus, the apostle Paul wrote; "Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, loud quarelling and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice". (Ephesians 4;31)

We can find it easy, on occasions, to justify the fact that we feel bitter towards someone.

The truth is, we have a much stronger reason to put bitterness far from us, that reason being that God's word tells us to do so.

As is the case with so many situations, we have the choice of justifying our actions, on the grounds of what someone does to cause us sorrow or anguish - or, to be obedient to what the Word of God tells us to do.

If we put what we might feel are our rights to one side and obey God's Word, interesting things can happen.

In Proverbs 16;7, we read; "When a man's ways please the Lord He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him".

There is another advantage to had by obeying God's instruction to let bitterness be put away from us and that involves medical issues which our bodies can endure, as a result of failing to obey God's instructions about how we need to deal with bitterness.

One such example of this is the effect of severe pain and immobility in the joints of those who live with bitterness in their hearts.

In this situation, to seek prayer for the relief of the pain usually produces no results, for the reason that these things are the effects of ignoring God's instructions and doing "our own thing".

What we need to do in this situation, is to understand that the underlying cause of the situation is our refusal to put bitterness away from us, as God's Word commands us to do.

In all three of my books, you can read about people who have discovered for themselves that times of blessing, including receiving powerful answers to prayers, come when we believe the Word of God enough to act on it.

Knowing this and doing it can change your life forever.

If you are living with bitterness in you, this is the answer to breaking free from it and all of its effects.