How to Overcome Bitterness and Resentment
Proverbs 21:19
What’s the difference between sour and bitter? If you scan through the internet you’ll see two schools of thought on the matter.
One side says that bitterness just an unpleasant taste while sourness describes the flavor of some foods that aren’t necessarily unpleasant. The other side says that bitterness and sourness is the same thing.
Fruits like oranges and lemons are naturally sour to taste, but did you know that any food can become bitter?
Once left to curate bacteria and mold anything can be stale and develop a bitter taste. Food that has passed it’s ‘best by’ date is no longer valuable and needs to be throw out because if eaten will cause food poisoning.
Why am I speaking about food?
In some sense, the bitterness that can develop in food is equivalent to the bitterness and resentment that can develop in one’s heart.
The enemy uses the tools of bitterness and resentment to slowly corrode minds, very much like an excess critic acid from lemons can damage your teeth.
Are you bitter?
A lot of people don’t know that they are bitter. They walk around always unhappy and never stop to think why.
They argue with anyone who gives them a chance and they habor hatred in their hearts. Am I reminding you of anyone?
Bitterness and resentment are caused by harboring feelings of pain towards others or towards a situation. They are acts of unforgiveness and a refusal to be humble.
People who are always bitter and always upset, have very little peace of mind because they are always (unconsciously) looking for things that annoy them.
Resentment especially rears its ugly head within our interpersonal relationships. Unfortunately, bitterness very often appears in marriages. Expectations are not met and people become very sour and mean-spirited.
It’s a sad but true fact that oftentimes it is the wife who exhibits feelings of resentment towards her husband and begins to act on those negative emotions. Silent treatment anyone?
The Bible even says that it’s better to go live in the wilderness with an angry woman.
“It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman.”
Proverbs 21:19
Overcoming Bitterness
It’s true when someone lets you down it’s hard to forgive them. It’s hard to see that person go about and being all happy when you’re so angry with them.
But the longer you remain resentful the more power that a person has over your life and the more they will be able to ‘drive you up a wall’. Should anyone have that much control over your emotions?
When bitterness and resentment exist among friends, church members or spouses, relationships become sour (pun intended) and ruined.
As humans, our actions naturally match our thoughts and when we are harbouring negative feelings towards someone else, we naturally treat them badly.
Forgive each other
Because unforgiveness is the root of resentment, if learn to forgive each other the bitterness will melt away.
“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”
Ephesians 4:31-32
No matter what someone has done to you, Jesus can give you the power to forgive them. He can provide you with the mental fortitude to have peace of mind even if the situation isn’t the best.
But it’s a process to overcome bitterness; you have to actively ask God to help you love someone you resent. We can pray “Lord, help me to love this person regardless of how they behave towards me.”
“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”
Matthew 5:44
Forgiving and loving others doesn’t mean that you become their punching bag; it just means that you see them as Christ sees them. No one can steal your joy if you place your peace in Jesus.
Prayer for Today:
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for loving me. Thank you for forgiving me and not being resentful towards me. Shine upon me your grace; help me to forgive others just as you have forgiven me. Help me to show love towards others no matter how they treat me and oh Lord melt my bitterness away.
Amen
Thank you for taking the time to read this article today. If you have a question, query or story you’d like to share with me, please leave a comment or email me using the form below.
