"Bitter or Forgiving?"

  Are you a person that is bitter about someone that has done something to you in your past? We know God speaks that bitterness and unforgiving hearts will cost one eternally. Why is it so difficult to let things go? Listen, we don't like anyone wronging us and what is worse is when we have been wronged we don't want them to get off like nothing ever happened! So we take up arms with our attitude toward them thinking we will show them their wrong and pay them for what they have done. That is a faithless response.

  Bitterness and resentments will eat the soul away. It will erode faith to a point that being bitter about someone doing whatever it is you feel like they did, you no longer respond by faith. What do I mean? "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice." (Eph. 4:31) How many congregations have split over the refusal of this verse? The Lord say put it all away. It will destroy you spiritually, even if you find reason to justify it.

  There is another side to this. Sometimes when we believe something to be the way it is, it might not be that way. "But I investigated it and found it so!" Maybe but maybe not. Sometimes what we do when we dig up things is the individual we are speaking with is bitter and in their bitterness they want you to see only the wrong done in their claim. It comes from a bitter heart rather than a tender heart, a forgiving heart. We come to our conclusion from one trapped in the sin of bitterness. That's not good. That's why we must be careful and guard our hearts. I see it all the time in marriages where one mate will sit and destroy the other by making all sorts of accusations of their past only to find that things were not exactly that way when you get them both together. One is bitter and that bitterness leads into false attacks to make one look as bad as possible. 

  There is something to do be said of witnesses! When one is in sin and will not listen to what is true and right, there needs to be witnesses. The Lord wanted witnesses to confirm matters from the OT to the NT. Witnesses are what keeps things above the board so that when people become bitter and unforgiving, the witnesses can help pull them up to the level of righteousness rather than sink everyone in the sin of bitterness. If there are no witnesses, leave it alone and allow the Lord to work it out. No one will get by Him! Leave it alone!! You cannot afford to sink into the mire with those who are bitter about someone. Leave it to the Lord. That way you will find your faith stable and hopefully get the opportunity to help the one in the state of bitterness. 

  "So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you."  (Col. 3:12-13) Therein is faith in action!