cus our minds on is that God is victorious . He warns us that we will run into trouble in this world , we will be hurt , we will face hardships , and we will fail . However we need to never forget that God has overcome this world . Knowing that you are on the winning side can give you the confidence to overcome your own bitterness , because succumbing to bitterness is surrendering to the enemy , and that is not what God wants of us .
Psalm 51:10 “ Create in me a pure heart , O God , and renew a steadfast spirit within me ”
Asking God to take over your heart is truly one of the best things you can do , especially if bitterness has taken root . God is pure , He is love , He is unforgiveness , and He is perfect . We are human , we fail and we struggle . To ask God to take over your sinful heart is one of the only way ’ s to deal with bitterness . We cannot get rid of it ourselves , we need Christ to come in and take over .
Proverbs 28:13 “ Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper , but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy ”
The enemy ’ s goal is to keep things undealt with , that we do not acknowledge it , and bring it into God ’ s light . The darkness is the enemy ’ s playground and the only place he has power . If he can isolate you , you will keep it in and not allow God ’ s power to come into the situation to heal . There is power in speaking our sin ’ s out loud . It allows us to confess , become aware and give accountability to others as we crawl out of the darkness as Satan tries to pull you back in .
Ephesians 4:26 “ In your anger do not sin ”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry ”
There is much debate about the meaning of this verse ; whether it truly means don ’ t go to bed angry or if it is in more of the theoretical sense . I don ’ t want to get into that debate , I want to look at it in the sense that it is saying we need to forgive like Jesus taught us to . Unresolved anger can be the most dangerous kind of bitterness . It is the most powerful emotion or feeling which makes it the hardest one to overcome and break out of . The only way for bitterness not to root into your heart is to forgive immediately . Not based on anything , not only if they apologize , not with conditions but to forgive like Jesus forgave us .
Colossians 3:13 “ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone . Forgive as the Lord forgave you .”
God tells us to forgive regardless if we want too , without conditions of the other party , and ask quickly as possible . It doesn ’ t matter what your feelings are about the situation , God asks about our obedience above what are feelings are telling us . It frees us from the strongholds of bitterness
Ephesians 4:31 “ Get rid of all bitterness , rage and anger , brawling and slander , along with every form of malice .”
Getting rid of bitterness is the only remedy to truly get it gone for good . Holding on to any aspect of it , not dealing with all of the issue ’ s will allow it to linger and infiltrate certain areas of your life and will continue to hold you in bondage . The bible tells us to get rid of it because that is the best thing for our hearts and also our relationship with Christ .
HOW DOES IT COME WITH US INTO NEW RELATIONSHIPS ?
The next thing to look at it what do we do when either we come into a relationship or another person comes into a relationship with us , with the baggage of bitterness in their hearts . I want to specifically look at the marriage relationship . Chances are once you find the one you are going to spend your life with- at least one of you has had past relationships .
Things that happened in that past relationship can affect how that person behaves and reacts to things that happen in your current relationship . Past hurts , jealousy , anger , betrayal , abandonment , being cheated , and so on that do not get resolved before going into a new relationship will come with that person into it . It is like coming with a suitcase filled with the junk of bitterness , and since it comes with you full , you have nowhere to put the new things given to you in the new relationship . It is not always obvious at first , it rears its head