Not Letting Bitterness Wear Me Down

In Proverbs 27:3 I read,  “A stone is heavy and sand is weighty, but the resentment caused by a fool is even heavier.”

(NLT)

Any time I breathe bitterness, I only suffocate my spirit. Bitterness doesn’t just choke out my happiness and healthy emotions. It also strangles my spirit. When I have bitterness in my heart, I can’t breathe spiritually. Bitterness will only weigh me down and depress my spirit. Proverbs 27:3 says, “A stone is heavy and sand is weighty, but the resentment caused by a fool is even heavier” (NLT).

Choosing bitterness is like choosing to carry around a huge weight with me everywhere I go, all the time. It’s an unnecessary load, but I’ve made the choice to bear it. Sometimes I may think I can hurt the person who hurt me by holding on to what happened, that by staying mad, the other person will become miserable.

But bitterness is a worthless weapon. It doesn’t hurt the other person. It only makes me miserable. The person that hurt me is probably not even aware that I’m thinking about them all the time. Bitterness is like drinking poison and hoping it kills the person that hurt me. But that person is out there somewhere, eating a steak dinner and living their best life. They’re not even thinking about me! They’ve already moved on with their life. It’ll be a waste of my time to keep trying to use bitterness as a weapon. I’ll only myself.

I may have been hurt by someone a long time ago, they can’t hurt me anymore! The only way they can continue to hurt me is if you choose to hold on to the hurt and replay it over and over in my mind. The Bible says in Job 18:4, “You are only hurting yourself with your anger” (GNT).

I don’t have to hurt anymore. Let go of my hurt. Surrender it to God. When I do, I’ll breathe in the fresh, sweet air of freedom and be able to move forward with purpose.

In summary, carrying resentment in my life is far heavier than a large stone or a huge bag of sand. Any time I breathe bitterness, I only suffocate my spirit. When I harbor bitterness in my heart, I can’t breathe spiritually. Bitterness will only weigh me down and depress my spirit. Choosing bitterness is like choosing to carry around a huge weight. It’s an unnecessary load, but I’ve made the choice to bear it. Sometimes I may think I can hurt the other person who hurt me by holding on to what happened. But bitterness is a worthless weapon. It doesn’t hurt the other person. It only makes me miserable. The person that hurt me is probably not even aware. Bitterness is like drinking poison and hoping it kills the other person. So I don’t have to hurt anymore. Let go and surrender it to God. When I do, I’ll breathe in the fresh, sweet air of freedom and be able to move forward with purpose.

I need to consider what hurt I need to make the choice to surrender to God? Seems like a lot of what comes to mind is when things don’t work out the way I want them to. Father, today with the help of your Holy Spirit in my life, that I let go of these things, turn them over to you. I need to look only toward what you will guide me towards in the future. I ask you Father for wisdom and guidance for today, my work, my leadership and my interactions with others. These things I pray in your Son Jesus’ name, amen.

 

I Can’t Out-Give God

In Luke 6:38 I read, “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” (NLT)

When I give from a heart for Jesus, the goal isn’t to get a blessing. But the truth is that God will bless me.

I cannot out-give God. When I learn to be generous like God is generous, he promises that I will end up with more. This is the economy of God.

Sometimes it seems like God is saying: “Let’s see who can out-give the other. You give to me and to other people, and I’ll give to you—and we’ll see who wins.”

And God always wins! He says over and over in Scripture that I will end up with more if I learn to be generous. Sometimes those blessings will be material. But sometimes they’ll be the spiritual blessings that come from a generous heart.

Jesus says, “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back” (Luke 6:38 NLT).

What is Jesus saying here? Imagine I’m going to a market to buy grain. I bring a burlap sack and pay to have the whole sack filled. As the shop owner is pouring grain, I press it into my sack. Then I gently shake the sack so the grain settles down even more. I want to fit the maximum amount of grain.

Jesus is saying that God’s blessings are the same. When I give generously, he’ll give so generously that I’ll have to make room for more.

He gives in full measure, and then some, when I learn to be generous like him. The way I give to others is the way God will give to me. He wants me to be generous because he wants me to be like him. I can’t become more like Christ without learning to give generously.

This is one of the most important decisions I will make: Is my life going to be about giving away what God has blessed me with? Will it be marked by a joyous desire to grab hold of God’s promises as I let go of the things of this earth?

“The amount I give will determine the amount I get back.” I determine how much God blesses my life.

In summary, Jesus tells me to give, when I do I will receive. In fact my gift will return back to me in a full pressed down manner, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and pouring into my lap. The amount I give will determine the amount I get back. When I give from a heart for Jesus, the goal isn’t to get a blessing. But God will bless me. When I learn to be generous, he promises that I will end up with more. Sometimes those blessings will be material, but other times they’ll be the spiritual blessings that come from a generous heart. When I give generously, he’ll give in return so generously that I’ll have to make room for more. He gives in full measure, and then some. The way I give to others is the way God will give to me. He wants me to be generous because he wants me to be like him. I can’t become more like Christ without learning to give generously. Is my life going to be about giving away what God has blessed me with? Will it be marked by a joyous desire to grab hold of God’s promises as I let go of the things of this earth? “The amount I give will determine the amount I get back.” So in essence, I determine how much God blesses my life.

 

A Wise Person Will Avoid Arguments

In James 3:17 I read, “Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others.” (The Message)

Do I get offended easily? Am I always looking for a fight? Does my defense mechanism kick in during every other conversation?

The Bible says that, if I am wise, I won’t antagonize someone’s anger: “Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others” (James 3:17 The Message).

Wise people work at maintaining peace and harmony. They’re not carrying a chip on their shoulders. They don’t take offense easily, and they don’t say and do things that they know will stir other people’s anger.

“Any fool can start arguments; the honorable thing is to stay out of them” (Proverbs 20:3 GNT).

Being wise in my relationships means avoiding arguments. There is a long list of things that cause arguments. Here are three specific things I can avoid as I try to honor people and build more peaceful and loving relationships.

First, don’t compare. Comparing causes arguments because it shows that I’m not satisfied and content with what I have and who God has made me to be. When I’m content with my life, it will show in healthy relationships.

Second, don’t condemn. It’s no surprise that using condemning statements like, “It’s all your fault” or “You should be ashamed of yourself” leads to arguments. Or maybe it comes out in phrases like, “You ought to,” “You shouldn’t,” “You always,” and “You never.” Using phrases like these and condemning people puts me above them. That is not the way of Jesus.

Thirdly, don’t contradict. When I’m in the middle of an argument, don’t sweat the small stuff. If somebody gets a detail wrong, just let it go. William James, a famous psychologist, said, “Wisdom is the art of knowing what to overlook.” If I can learn to let things go, then I’ll notice how much more peaceful relationships are.

Comparison, condemnation, and contradiction always lead to arguments. But when I choose instead to show grace, God can transform my relationships.

In summary, real wisdom, God’s, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. Do I get offended easily? Does my defense mechanism kick in during conversations? If I am wise, I won’t antagonize someone’s anger: Wise people work at maintaining peace and harmony. They don’t carry a chip on their shoulders. They don’t take offense easily, and they don’t say and do things that they know will stir other people’s anger. Being wise in relationships means avoiding arguments. Here are three specific things I can avoid as I try to honor people and build more peaceful and loving relationships. First, don’t compare. Comparing causes arguments. It shows that I’m not satisfied and content with what I have and who God made me to be. Second, don’t condemn. Using condemning statements leads to arguments. Condemning others puts me above them. That is not the way of Jesus. Thirdly, don’t contradict. When I’m in the middle of an argument, don’t sweat the small stuff. If somebody gets a detail wrong, just let it go. If I can learn to let things go, then I’ll notice how much more peaceful relationships are. Comparison, condemnation, and contradiction always lead to arguments. But when I choose to show grace, God can transform my relationships.

In retrospect, comparison and contradiction, if only in my mind seem to be two that I struggle with the most. It seems I’m not content with who I am and I want to correct every detail. I suspect this is because I want to be viewed highly and always right. I need to reflect on and follow the example of Jesus. I ask Father that with help from the Holy Spirit that I can be reminded of these things. Father, I also ask you for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, my leadership and my interactions with others. I pray these things in your Son Jesus’ name, amen.

 

How Should I Measure Success?

In Hebrews 11:6 I read, “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” (NIV)

It would be better to attempt to do something great with my life and fail, than to attempt to do nothing with my life, and succeed.

Yet, this is where most people (including myself at times) are! Drifting through life with no goals. Not aiming for the moon because of being so afraid to fail, that they just hit the fence post. People have forgotten or never understood that failure is not the same as being unable to do something. Failure is being unwilling to try. It’s okay for you to say, “At least I tried.”

This is faith. To move forward in spite of my fears. The Bible says in Matthew 9:29, “According to your faith let it be done to you” (NIV). When I move forward and show God I’m willing to trust him with the unknown, I am choosing how much God will bless my life.

Life is a marathon. People do not run a marathon to get first place. Only one person out of the thousands running can get first place. They run a marathon to finish and be able to say, “I did it. I tried!”

I’ll never be number one in most things in life. What really matters is: Did I finish the race, or did I quit too soon and coast for the latter part of life? Did I run hard and fast for Jesus Christ until the day he took me?

Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (NIV). Faith means I try. I set a goal, take risks, and work hard. Whether or not I reach my goal or challenge is irrelevant.

When I attempt something for the glory of God, I can’t be considered a failure, no matter what happens. If I’m doing something in faith, then I’m already a success.

In summary, without faith it is impossible to please God. It would be better to attempt to do something great and fail, than to attempt to do nothing, and succeed. Yet, this is where most people (including myself at times) are! Drifting through life with no goals. Not aiming because of being so afraid to fail.. People have forgotten or never understood that failure is not the same as being unable to do something. Failure is being unwilling to try. Faith is moving forward in spite of my fears. “According to my faith let it be done to me”. When I move forward and show God I’m willing to trust him with the unknown, I am choosing how much God will bless my life. Life is a marathon and people do not run it to get first place. They run a marathon to finish and be able to say, “I did it. I tried!” What really matters is: Did I finish the race, or did I quit too soon and coast for the latter part of life? Did I run hard and fast for Jesus Christ. Faith means I try. I set a goal, take risks, and work hard. Whether or not I reach my goal or challenge is irrelevant. When I attempt something for the glory of God, I can’t be considered a failure, no matter what happens. If I’m doing something in faith, then I’m already a success.

Father, you want my trust. I need to adjust my thinking. I don’t need to win, I just need to try and do the best I can and finish. What I do should be for your Glory Father and not mine. I pray that through my small, daily, consistent acts of discipline I remember to do so in faith. I ask you Father for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, my leadership and my interactions with others. These things I pray in your Son Jesus’ name, amen.

 

If I Want to Live, Learn to Give My Life Away

In Hebrews 6:10 I read, “God is fair; he will not forget the work you did and the love you showed for him by helping his people. And he will remember that you are still helping them.” (NCV)

We’re all given the same number of minutes in a day. And we’re all given the same goal, to become more like Jesus.

To describe Jesus in one word, it would be this: unselfish. So, the whole goal of life is learning how to become more and more unselfish, because to be unselfish is love, and Jesus is love.

“God is fair; he will not forget the work you did and the love you showed for him by helping his people. And he will remember that you are still helping them” (Hebrews 6:10 NCV). 

My reward in heaven is going to be based on what I did here on earth. One day, I’ll stand before God, and he’s going to say, “What did you do with what you were given?” I certainly don’t want to say that I worked, wasted time, retired and then died.

I am learning that I was put on earth for more than that! Instead, I need to learn to live unselfishly and give myself away for others and the Kingdom of God. Then I’ll be able to say, “I gave it all, Lord. I’m laid bare. Everything I have and am, I gave it away for the Gospel.”

One of the most significant things I can do with my life is to give it away, to be generous with what I’ve been given, including my money, resources, time, and talent. God says clearly that when there is no service or generosity, there will be no reward in heaven. This is not how I want my time on earth to end?

So I need to learn to make my time on earth count for eternity. Help others come to know Christ, discover their purpose for life, grow in their maturity, find their ministry, and serve in their mission in the world.

When I give my life away, life takes on new meaning, joy, and excitement.

When I give my life away, I begin to fully live.

In summary, God is fair, he won’t forget what I did and the life I showed by helping others. In this life we’re all given the same number of minutes in a day, and the same goal, to become more like Jesus. To describe Jesus in one word, it would be: unselfish. So, the whole goal of life is learning how to become more and more unselfish, because to be unselfish is love, and Jesus is love. My reward in heaven is going to be based on what I did here on earth. One day, I’ll stand before God, and he’s going to say, “What did you do with what you were given?” I certainly don’t want to say that I worked, wasted time, retired and then died. I was put on earth for more than that! I need to learn to live unselfishly and give myself away for others and the Kingdom of God. Then I’ll be able to say, “I gave it all, Everything I have and am, I gave it away for the Gospel. One of the most significant things I can do with my life is to give it away, to be generous with what I’ve been given, this includes my money, resources, time, and talent. God says when there is no service or generosity, there will be no reward in heaven. So I need to learn to make my time on earth count for eternity. I need to help others come to know Christ, discover their purpose for life, grow in their maturity, find their ministry, and serve in their mission in the world. When I give my life away, it takes on new meaning, joy, and excitement. I begin to fully live.

It's easy for me to get discouraged. But this study this morning reminds me that God is never unjust. He will not forget or overlook my hard work for him. He knows my efforts. I ask and pray that I allow God's love for me and his knowledge of my service for him, to bolster me as I face disappointment and rejection. I do want to practice generosity, not only with my money but with my time and talents. Father, I also ask for wisdom and guidance for the day, my work, my leadership and my interactions with others. I pray these things in your Son Jesus’ name, amen.