I have little time. I have other posts waiting to be written (birthday, prom, etc.). I have a ton of spring cleaning that needs doing. But. BUT. I happened to read someone's comment on someone else's blog. It seemed that I should take a peek at this person's blog. On her side bar (of her old blog I think. I'm new to it, and there were two different looking blogs, but by the same person.) there were some links to posts she had written and other resources. My eyes fell upon an article on bitterness.
Sigh. I know I 'suffer' from it. I've read and heard sermons on it before. Each time I do not seem to get any closer to being free of it. I know it damages my family. I know it damages my relationship with God. And yet, I can not seem to get rid of it. There have definitely been times where it wasn't as pervasive. I almost didn't click on the link. Almost. But, just like in my quest for health, thinking there might be that "one" thing out there that will help us, I did click. I did. And I am grateful that I did.
I don't think that I've heard of bitterness explained in this way before. Though maybe I have and the truth just didn't sink in. Either way, I finally 'see' it. I finally see why I have times where the bitterness wasn't choking me. I finally know what I have to do. Don't get me wrong, I always knew I had to confess it, but this article just really, really explained it all in a way that helped me to see where I was going wrong. I loved the idea of the cup of sweet water. I assure you that I am NOT filled with sweet water. Definitely, definitely not filled with sweet water.
So I want to pass this article along, hoping that it too can free someone else of their bitterness. (To be clear, I just read the article minutes ago, so I will be working on this issue, I am not 'free' yet, but on my way!)
How to be Free of Bitterness
1 comment:
You might really enjoy this perspective as well. This is a great little guide.
http://www.olrl.org/snt_docs/trustful/
Here's a gem of a quote: "Let us never then attribute our losses, our disappointments, our afflictions, our humiliations to the devil or to men, but to God as their real source. "To act otherwise" says St. Dorothy, "would be to do the same as a dog who vents his anger on the stone instead of putting the blame on the hand that threw it at him." So let us be careful not to say 'So-and-so is the cause of my misfortune.' Your misfortunes are the work not of this or that person but of God. And what should give you reassurance is that God, the sovereign good, is guided in all His actions by His most profound wisdom for holy and supernatural purposes."
The author distinguishes between the INTENTION of the harms against us (evil/sinful, and doing harm to the soul who DOES the harm but not to our soul) and the EFFECT of the harms against us (something God has decreed for our good, to teach us a lesson or increase our sanctification).
Therefore if we truly accept all things from His hand, we will not continue in bitterness but rather have compassion for those who have harmed us, because the evil they have done is affecting THEIR soul. It only affects ours when we give in to the resentment and bitterness.
God bless you in your journey to get rid of this root in your life. You are brave to put it out there and confess it so freely. I do believe there is a big connection between physical health and holding on to wrongs done to us. I feel that it's not just spiritually healthy to let things go but physically healthy as well.
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