Freedom from Bitterness

Let’s start this week by facing facts. We live in a fallen, messed-up world. Things often won’t go as planned. People do stupid things. Hurting people hurt people. And in spite of what the age-old quote says about sticks and stones, words can hurt. To sum up this dreary opening paragraph, we will all face hurts and offense frequently in life.

As with many other things in life, what happens to us is not nearly as important as our response to it. Offense can be difficult. Too often we end up harboring unforgiveness and getting bitter. Unfortunately, this does much greater harm to us than to the person we refuse to forgive. Offense is the bait that the enemy uses to lure us into bondage, and it causes us to build up walls around hearts. Walls may keep out the bad stuff, but they also keep out the good. It may protect us from the pain of hurt and rejection, but it also prevents us from experiencing love and life-giving relationships.