See to it that… no bitter root grows up to cause trouble.Hebrews 12:15 NIV
Betrayal is something others do to you; bitterness is something you do to yourself! Look past the hurt and you’ll see that your resentment is just a roadblock to your own success.
Eliminate words of bitterness from your conversation. Don’t remind others of your experience, unless it’s to teach and encourage them to rise above their own.
Lloyd Ogilvie says, “The hardest time to be gentle is when we know we’re right and somebody else is wrong. It’s when someone has failed us, admitted it, and their destiny or happiness is in our hands. Recently a friend hurt me in both word and action. Each time we met, I enjoyed the leverage of being the offended one. At first I rejected all his attempts at reconciliation because I’d already pronounced judgment on him. My most difficult challenge now was to surrender my anger and work through the hurt.
“Finally, the Lord said; ‘Lloyd, why is it so important to you who gets the credit, just so long as My work gets done?’ Right then I gave up my right to be what only God could be – this man’s Judge and Saviour. Immediately my heart tenderised and my attitude toward him changed.”
When you withhold forgiveness, you hurt the other person, but you hurt yourself more – much more! You lose the joy of living. It hangs over you like a cloud, affecting everything you do. But when you forgive, you release peace and restoration to the forgiven – and also to yourself. So today, forgive!
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