bitterness

There is an innate desire in all of us to be known well, and still loved. To allow someone to know you, and know you well requires vulnerability. Being vulnerable requires trust, and to have trust requires relationship. All of this to say, it's hard to have these desires and to want your needs to be met, when one of the components listed above are missing. How can I truly be vulnerable with a person I don't trust? How can I trust a person if there is no foundational relationship.

[ Stay with me here, I promise this isn't a rant of an ADD kid with no meds ;) ]

I don't care who you are, male or female. There is a desire to be honest open and accepted with where you truly stand on heart issues, life and the world. People are so important, fellowship is crucial in our lives as we walk this journey. We all have insecurities and fear rejection.

I'm realizing day after day, that people are people. And although we all are unique in our own way, we share the same human conditions. We are all sinners and fall short. We fail each other. We hurt one another. We do and say things we shouldn't. We bring people around us down, so as to lift ourselves up. We are a people who have real fears. We get offended. We become defensive.

So what happens when you wake up one day and realize you live in a World filled with people who feel real hurt and in return hurt. People who bring you down, brush you aside, allow you to feed on lies that tell you you don't matter?

Life is tough, you would be a fool to say otherwise. And yet instead of turning to one another and being honest when we need help. When we need a friend. When we need some encouragement. We are silent. We throw out the invitation for someone to pour out how they are really doing, and merely treat it as a greeting, rather than a sincere "how are you doing?".

Why bring this up? Maybe I'm just fed up with acting happy when I'm not. (not to say I'm unhappy, but we all have our days) One of the best things about JBU that I fear we(even I) take for granted, are the relationships here. We have the opportunity to really lift each other up, instead of tear each other down. Not only is this an opportunity, but its a responsibility that Christ calls us to. "Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them." Ephesians 4:29

When someone hurts me, I have to fight my flesh not to retaliate. Most of the time those rebuttals come from my own pride. I don't want to show people that they can hurt me, or that they have the power to make me have a bad day. So I become bitter. I'm bitter that someone would treat me that way, bitter that God doesn't smite the person who hurts me, and bitter that I too, hurt people even when I know better.

Here's the great news that you already know. Hope. It comes from God and him alone. His love exceeds all. What a gracious and forgiving God we serve. We are a dirty, evil, good-for-nothing people that by the grace of God, have the potential and grave opportunity to receive redemption.

The truth is, we wake up and fall asleep a sinner, but through Christ we are sanctified. We are made holy in His sight. This is possibly the greatest, most undeserving gift that mankind is given. Not all have or will receive the gift, what a waste of a life to not be daily filled with complete peace that comes from the Father and through Him alone.

Ephesians 4:30-32

³⁰ And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own,^{a]" style="font-size: 0.75em; line-height: 0.5em; ">[a]}guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. ³² Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.