I am sure we are all aware that the mind is a very powerful thing. Our brain works and keeps our body running without us having to consciously tell it to do so. It is the power house that supplies signals to every part of us. It can reason and think, remember and recall, and it can work against us at times.
So I am sure that everyone of us at one time or another has had a similar problem that I struggle with. I sometimes think that I know what others are thinking. I also think that they should know what I am thinking, or at least what I am feeling. I don't know anyone in my life who professes to be a mind reader, and yet, this is how I went through life believing.
Now having shared this little bit of info., I am going to get a little personal. I have a habit of becoming somewhat angry or bitter towards a person, mostly my husband or family but others as well, if they don't know what I am thinking or know how I am feeling. Also when I think I know that they are thinking.
This probably sounds really silly to you. But, how about if I asked you if someone has ever done something wrong to you. Lied, stolen, or hurt you or a person you love or care deeply about? I am sure you can say yes to this. I know I can many times over. When we don't or can't address the person directly about what they have done, we can become very bitter. We may begin to even resent them and also may start to plan revenge. This doesn't mean that we may actually carry out the revenge but we can plan many ways to get back at the person in our mind. We might even find ourselves rejoicing when we hear something bad has happened to them.
So today I want to talk to you about the way I am learning to deal with my little problem. When I, or a loved one, has been hurt by someone, I naturally want to hurt that person back and if I can't, I become a little bitter. This shows up in me as silence, angry words, shouting or even stomping around mad. Sounds a little funny for a grown woman to behave that way, but I am being honest, this is how I used to act, ok sometimes still act. But I am really trying to learn a better way.
I am learning to handle these situations in the way God calls me to. To not assume the other person knows what they have done. To not think they should just know what I am thinking. To really press into the scripture about how to handle my anger and obey God so that I don't become a bitter mess. Being a bitter mess was all to easy for me in the past.
So you might be asking yourself, what is she talking about? It's simply this, God's way is to never take revenge on someone but rather to pray for and bless those who persecute you. To pray God's blessing on to them, not to curse them or wish evil on them, not rejoice when they stumble or fall, but to live a life that is honorable in what you say and do, and most importantly, to conquer evil with the goodness of the Lord.
I don't know what your thinking right now, but I remember what I thought when I first started learning about this. WOW!! Really God? You want me to just go around forgiving bad people and then to start praying for them? Even the really evil people who hurt me or my loved ones so deeply? The ones who lied about us and made things up to make my husband and I look bad, or the ones who talked about us behind our backs? The ones who plotted evil so that they could try to make themselves look better? The ones who took things away from us and left us devastated and in shock?
And God gently answered me and said "YES. Even those ones. You see child, if you take matters into your own hands, or try to seek revenge, you are stealing from Me. You are preventing me from being able to deal with these people in my own way." I kind of sat there stunned. I mean really shocked. But then I began to realize that God knows exactly what His purposes are in every situation in my life. And I need to learn to trust in His justice because if I don't, I will probably mess it up and then become even more bitter. And who wants that?
So at this point is right about when I started to feel like I would never be able to do this. How am I supposed to pray for my enemy or those who have hurt me? How do I deal with those who have lied and hurt my family or my friends? Well God said it wouldn't be easy but that it might help if I realize that it is not really the person that is the true problem. It says in the Word that we do not battle against flesh and blood but against rulers, authorities, and powers of darkness in this world and spiritual forces of darkness in heavenly places. Wow, this was a real eye opener. And it began to change my way of thinking. Like pastor Mike always says, it began to change my stinkin thinkin.
I began to see that my enemy, the true enemy, loves to create a chaotic mess of my life. He likes to do this in every ones life because it pulls us away from our One and only lifeline...God. If we allow the enemy to come in and compromise the relationship we have with our Father, then he can create even more loss in our lives. More hurt, anguish and bitterness. Boy does that ever make him happy. To know that he can so easily come in and wreak havoc in my life. So at this point what do we do?
How do I as a child of God, and you to, let go of this bitterness? How do we trust that God will truly handle the situation? How do I know what the truth is? Well there are plenty of scriptures in the bible that tell us how. Verses that free me and you completely from bitterness, even old, old bitterness that I may have been holding onto for years. I no longer have to worry or plan how I might get back at someone. I am free not to rejoice in their downfall and to realize that it is not the person themselves that I am fighting against. It is the evil one. My job is to live at peace with my fellow man and to operate honorably so as not to bring shame on my family or more importantly, on to God. I can leave the job of holding them accountable to God.
By doing so, I allow God not only to work mightily in my life, but to also begin to work in the life and heart of those that have hurt me. For Him to do this, I need to trust and obey Him. I need to know that God never intended my life, or anyone's for that matter, to be destroyed or filled with bitterness. He instead wants me to have a life that is filled up and overflowing with blessings. An abundant life.
Ok so how do I do this? How do I just trust what God is telling me? How do I know that I have the strength do this. On those days when I feel like I can't listen to what God says, I can't do what He has asked, I must meditate on what His word says. In Phillipians 4:13 He tells me, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!" I only need ask for His strength, grace, mercy and help in those times when I feel weak. I need to be willing to say that I myself cannot, but I can in Christ. To truly believe this and to walk in it. It is His truth and I must trust in what He has told me.
I found a few scriptures that address these things that I will leave with you today. I know there are many, many more but these ones seem very appropriate for what I am talking about. Romans 12:9-21, Ephesians 6:10-13, John 10:10, and Phillipians 4:13. There are many more that I intend to find and write upon my heart. I invite you to do the same. I know that for me this has been a very heavy topic in my life. I know its hard to deal with sometimes. If you have any questions or just want me to pray for you, please let me know. You see, bitterness took me to a really dark time in my life. I feel very blessed to have survived it. Some don't. Remember you always have a true friend in Jesus.
Heavenly Father, I cannot thank You enough for Your love and mercy. For the fact that I do not have to hang onto and deal with my bitterness Lord, but that I can lay it all at Your mighty feet. That I can fully trust You and all You say in Your word. Father your love and tenderness has worked on my heart and shown me a better way. I pray now that You would do the same Lord in the lives of my family, friends and even my enemies. Those I know about, and those I don't. Father I give it all to You so that you can begin a new and wonderful work in their hearts. Lord I pray that they to would know Your love and mercy. That they would also find a better and not a bitter way Lord. I pray for those who don't know You yet Lord. That you would put people who love you and follow after Your own heart into their lives so that they to can feel the peace that passes understanding. And I pray Father that You would continue to work in my life. To help me to know You more. To walk in a way that always brings Honor to You. Thank you Father God for Your tender mercies. Amen.
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