Starting Fresh

Recently I saw this quote by Craig Groeschel and it really stuck with me. There are times off and on throughout my week that I get bitter at all types of situations. Why can’t the kids just take a nap so I can have a minute of peace? Why do they not just listen the first time? Or I was dragging in the morning and my workout couldn’t get done. At times my husband is on call a lot and I get exhausted with the kids and I get angry and bitter towards him for not being there. There are times when bitterness can arise towards a certain person and it starts eating at your relationship. It can be a multitude of things that can lead towards bitterness. Bitterness is the enemy fully at work and winning.

It took me years to understand that we have no control over how people choose to treat us or how they act and the only control we have is how we respond to them. It’s the same for situations that happen throughout the day. If we are getting bogged down and overwhelmed, chances are we are trying to do it all when we were never made to. We are relying on ourselves too much and we need to reconnect to God to have His help and guidance. One of my favorite lines from this podcast was, “Bitterness keeps detailed records.”

When I heard this it made me stop and think for a little bit. Love keeps no record of wrongdoing 1 Corinthians 13:5. It’s hard in the chaos of life when things are not going on our way to not keep these wrongdoings ever present in our mind. I am definitely guilty of this because there are times I want to be justified for how I feel and why I am allowed to be bitter. What really is happening when I feel the need to feel justified is that the roots of bitterness are growing and flourishing in my soul. The enemy is rooting out the love of Jesus and is taking control of my heart. When you were getting married did anyone ever get the advice do not go to bed angry? We heard it a million times over lol. At the time I was like okay people we get it, but now after getting older and being married for almost 12 years I completely understand. When I have let the sun set on my anger, I wake up with that anger ever present and not embracing the sunrise and blessing of a new day as God has intended for me. Ephesians 4:26.

My prayer for you as we get closer to a new year is that you will work harder at not letting bitterness eat away at your heart. I speak from personal experience that it will suck the light out of your life. It will leave you never feeling happy and consistently disappointed. If we are sitting there begging God to help us and forgive us for our wrongdoings but we are not doing the same to others, how do you think that is going to work? We cannot compare sin because sin is sin. It’s not always about getting your point across or being heard, sometimes it’s about showing the love of Jesus instead. I hope that this new year your prayers become more intentional, more frequent and His light shines brighter in your heart that ever before. I pray more than ever before that you bring His love into this world.

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”- James 1:19-20

XOXO