"Don't Shut God Out"

  It comes from a lot of different things that happen in our lives. I'm speaking of bitterness. When one becomes bitter about something, that bitterness makes it way into the heart and as long as that bitterness resides there, it skews the way we look at everything and everyone from that point. All our assessments and the way we deal with others are seen through bitter eyes.

  Someone feels slighted by an individual or the elders didn't take my needs into account or didn't do something the way I thought it should have been done. The stage is set. Choices will be made and we choose bitter! The heart is tainted and through those bitter eyes we begin to make our assessments about that individual and the situation. It might not be expressed at first but eventually it will. Another situation arises and the bitterness from the past arises in the heart. We begin to express our dissatisfaction of the present and then suddenly, the past bitterness that has settled in the heart begins to flow out of the mouth. We begin speaking about this injustice that we believe was perpetrated upon us. Angers flare and the more we speak, things continue to spiral downward. This is the reason that bitterness will cost your soul!

  The Hebrew writer speaks that bitterness is the one thing that will make one come short of God's grace (Heb. 12:15). Bitterness allowed to fester in the heart will stop God's grace toward you and leave you alone in your bitterness. Then that bitterness begins to defile and cause trouble, many times upon the innocent because you want them to hear. One act of bitterness and the defilement has spread to others. That's the way it works. Bitterness shuts out God! We are left with our own misery and powerless!! The situation that made us bitter now begins to be rearranged in the mind and heart to justify our actions and attitudes. It is to make us feel better about being bitter but in reality, it shuts God out!

  No wonder God calls us to put away all bitterness and wrath, all anger and clamor (railing against another), all slander and malice. (Eph. 4:31) Instead we are to be kind, tender-hearted and forgiving just as God HAS forgiven us in Christ Jesus. (Eph. 4:32) If you are forgiven from the Lord, what should your heart embrace? If you aren't forgiven, what will your heart embrace? Why is this so important? So the grace of God toward your life won't be shut out!