Healing Bitterness
God definitely uses our children to teach us if only we will listen. We had an incident occur around Thanksgiving that caused some hurt feelings, especially for my children. One of my daughters who was trying not to cry looked at me and said, “We have to try not to grow bitter because of this.”
This bitterness is something I have struggled with all of my life. I did not have an easy childhood and have many hurts in my 35 years. Most of the time it has been in dealing with those I love. It is hard to not grow bitter or to let the hurts build upon each other. I have posted several times in the last month or so on forgiveness. This is not because I have it down so I need to share, it is because it is something that I often struggle with myself. Even when I forgive there still is healing that needs to take place in my heart. Sometimes things hurt and just because we forgive does not mean that the pain is automatically washed away. Here is where things get tricky. People say forgiveness is the hardest thing to do. I think it is even harder to keep bitterness from creeping in as we heal from our hurts.
Only the Lord can bring about the healing of the heart, no matter what circumstance we are in. Depending on the Lord for our strength and comfort is what is required. I ask God to soften my heart so that it is pliable in the Master’s hands as He molds me into who He created me to be, refining and burning out the impurities. Healing me from hurts and bitterness so that I am able to serve Him with a clean and pure heart.
Related posts:
- Teach Your Children To Forgive
- Do You Fear?
- Forgiveness
- God Knows My Heart
- Pray for Your Children-Pt. 5
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Posted in Christianity, Forgiveness
December 5th, 2007 at 1:27 am
AbsoLUTEly! There are people that I have forgiven that will never ask me for that forgiveness. It does get difficult at times to continue in that mode of forgiveness when they continue in the same behavior while I’m trying to move on. God is our only outlet in these circumstances!
Love,
Becca
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/BeccaBeard
December 5th, 2007 at 8:37 pm
Christine – you are a wise mama! And as you get older, there will be many more opportunities for extending forgiveness. As human beings, we naturally do and say things that hurt each other (even when we don’t realize it!). But the person who holds on to all of those hurts, eventually becomes miserable in their own bitterness. Please know that you are not alone in this struggle.
Also, as a small token of your kindness to me over the past couple of weeks, I am passing on the Spirit of Christmas award to you (along with several other new blogging friends!). Please take a peek at my blog, grab the link, and pass on the spirit of Christmas. Blessings, Nina
December 5th, 2007 at 10:00 pm
This has come up for me again recently. My hardest struggle is when someone rejects entirely, even violently, the idea that they have done any wrong.
Thank-you for the reminder that I need to surrender such people into the hands of our sovereign Lord. Only the Holy Spirit can thoroughly convict of sin and my desire should be for their mercy and the Lord’s glory, not my own selfish, perceived rights.