FRIDAY June 21, 2024
Are You a Bitter or Better Person?
Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4:31-32
Bitterness is like a poison. When you speak the words from your heart, you spew forth bitterness. Someone who is bitter has a settled hostility that has poisoned their whole inner man. Understand, those who hold on to bitterness often become physically sick. Bitterness has such negative effects on themselves and others. It will drive people away from you.
Bitterness is a destructive sin that can lead to malicious, evil speaking. It can cause division in the body of Christ: ...looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled... (Hebrews 12:15).
As God’s children, He desires that we be kind, loving and forgiving toward each other. Jesus Christ has forgiven us, so we should forgive one another of any offences. The only way to heal a root of bitterness growing in the human heart is through God’s forgiveness and love. It will make you a better person.
We are to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves. The definition of love is recorded in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8:
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.
Can you place your name in these verses? We often fail to love people. We can only accomplish this through the love of God. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill your life with the love of God. Then instead of growing bitter, you can truly love people.
The expression of Christian character is not good-doing, but God-likeness. If the Spirit of God has transformed you within, you will exhibit divine characteristics in your life, not good human characteristics.
~Oswald Chambers~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!
