What To Do With Bitterness

I’ve been following a study in Ephesians for a while now and today’s study really spoke to me as I learned how I am to behave.  I would like to share that with you now.

Ephesians 4:31,32  says “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.”

Let’s start with learning a little Greek.

The Greek word here for:

bitterness is pikria (pik-ree’-ah) meaning a spite that harbors resentment, keeps score of all the wrongs.

wrath is thumos (thoo-mos’) meaning a wrath that literally explodes, fierceness, indignation.

anger is orge (or-gay’) meaning properly desire (as a reaching forth or excitement of the mind), that is, violent passion, indignation.

The bitterness, wrath and anger mentioned in verse 31 are powerful and certainly are not what God would have us to do not even if someone is treating us that way.  We are to be kind, tenderhearted and forgiving. 

It is easy to read that and say “Okay, I can do that” but another thing to read it and know how hard it is to do.  It is something our old nature (2Co 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”) is not set up to do but through Christ we are able to do this because He helps us.  Just because we are saved doesn’t mean we will automatically be able to live this way, we must ask God for His help to do so.  Unfortunately, that old nature wants to come out and we must be walking close to God so that does not happen.

Do I always forgive those who have hurt me? To be honest, I have to ask God for His help and many times it takes asking more than once but I truly want to do what God wants for me to do and I strive for that each day.

Are you holding on to bitterness, anger, or wrath toward someone?  If so, please pray and ask God to help you forgive that person and to treat them the way Christ would.  On the cross at Calvary, Christ did not harbor bitterness, wrath, or anger toward those who put Him on that tree but rather He prayed for God to forgive them (Luke 23:34 “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”).

If you are not a new creature in Christ, please visit http://www.chick.com/information/general/salvation.asp to learn how to become one.

Til next time!

Linda

What is unconditional love?

This week SITS is hosting a Back to Blogging campaign to get everyone back in a blogging and commenting routine. I've not really been in a routine so I'm going to use this as a starting point for a routine.  Today we are to share a post that we wish more people had seen and read.  I chose this one on unconditional love because it is very dear to my heart and I don't think people realize just what it means - unconditional love!  Here it is....


Until my son fell in love, I never thought about how I would feel about his wife.  Would I grow to love her as I got to know her?  Would it take days, weeks, years?  I wasn't prepared for the answer.
You see it took only seconds.  Yes, only seconds!  As soon as I saw the first picture of them together, I knew Jacob was all in.  Of course, I had been talking to him and could hear the happiness in his voice but when I saw that same happiness in his eyes - I knew he had found the love of his life!  nothing could make a Mom happier and then I suddenly realized I loved her.

She and I had talked on the phone a couple of times but I can't say I knew her; I had met her only briefly once - how could I know her?  That is why I was surprised when I found myself loving her.  I suppose God made it that way - with unconditional love for families.

How far does this unconditional love go?  Is there anything that can cause that love to fade?  I truly believe there isn't anything she could say or do that would change how I feel.  God must have placed a component of forgiveness in that unconditional love, one that they don't have to ask for forgiveness nor do you have to say I forgive you.  Isn't that amazing!  I think so!  Isn't God amazing!

This unconditional love God gives us is different from salvation.  God loves all of us, that is why He sent His son to die on the cross (for our sins) and rose the third day but to get His gift of salvation, we must acknowledge we are sinners and accept God's gift of salvation - eternal life.  This too is amazing!  God is so awesome!

Thanks for reading!
Linda <3

Thanks to the SITS girls for this challenge this week and thanks to the SITS Back to Blogging sponsors: Standards of Excellence, Westar Kitchen and Bath, and Florida Builder Appliances.

How was your Mother's Day?

Mine was great! Hubby took me out to dinner, something we do not do very often these days.  It was a good time with good food that I didn’t have to prepare.

My son called from Florida and we had a nice conversation and I got to “talk” to my grandson briefly, he’s only 13 ½ months old so isn’t really into the talking thing much yet.  I found out how they celebrated the day to make his wife feel special.

The best part of the day was being in church.  We have not been attending faithfully for quite some time.  When I was working, I spent much of the weekend sleeping and well, that has continued since being off. I know I’ve missed many blessings by not being there and I cannot change that but I can go o from here.  It was such a blessing to hear Pastor preach about Hannah and her son Samuel.

Hannah was a godly mother and raised Samuel to fear and love the Lord God.  Pastor pointed out how Samuel came to be a godly man even though he lived most of his life in a home where much ungodliness was happening.  You see Hannah promised God that if He gave her a child she would give that child back to Him. She only raised Samuel to the age of 4 or 5 then he lived in the temple with the priest whose sons were wicked.  How did Samuel become so godly in this ungodly environment?  It was because of his upbringing and the things in him by his mother in those few short years; read I Samuel chapters 1 & 2.

What can we take away from this?  Those first years of a child’s life are so important and impact their entire future.  As Moms we need to be sure we are teaching them the ways of God during that time.  The Bible tells us in Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.”  Pastor did point out that if we did not do this then we need to start now.

I am thankful that even though we have not been faithfully attending church now, when Jacob was little we did go and he was trained in the things of the Lord.

Til next time,

Linda <3

Mother's Day Memories

My favorite Mother’s Day was when my son was 5 or 6 years old (it upsets me that I can’t remember for sure – that is why keeping a journal would be a great idea!).  The guys in my hubby’s family decided to take all the wives out to dinner on the Saturday before.  It was a surprise as to where they were taking us and Jacob was helping to keep that surprise.

That morning I needed to go to the local department and grocery stores and Jacob went along.  The department store was the first stop and I have absolutely no idea what I needed to buy but Jacob always wanted to look at the toys.  He found a little green John Deere tractor that he wanted and a plastic cow.  Well, as usual I gave in and said he could get them both.  When we got to the check-out, he noticed a display of books and asked if he could get one.  I told him he could only get two things and if he wanted the book, he would have to put back the cow or tractor.  I kinda encouraged the cow because after all it was just plastic.  He decided not to get the book.

Our next stop was the grocery store and as we were walking in, Jacob asked me how you wrap something for someone.  It hit me like a ton of bricks that my little boy decided to keep the cow not for himself but for me.  You see, my kitchen was decorated in most things cows – he wanted the little plastic cow for me.  I told him the easiest way to wrap a present was to use a gift bag so we went to the gift wrap and bought tissue paper and a gift bag.

When we got home I explained to hubby what had happened and he helped Jacob wrap his gift.  I can still see him carrying the bag out to the car and into the restaurant.  My heart was filled with pride and so much love for my son.

I still have that cow and it is one of my most prized possessions.

Till next time,
Linda <3

Unconditional Love - Part Two

Until my son fell in love, I never thought about how I would feel about his wife.  Would I grow to love her as I got to know her?  Would it take days, weeks, years?  I wasn't prepared for the answer.

You see it took only seconds.  Yes, only seconds!  As soon as I saw the first picture of them together, I knew Jacob was all in.  Of course, I had been talking to him and could hear the happiness in his voice but when I saw that same happiness in his eyes - I knew he had found the love of his life!  nothing could make a Mom happier and then I suddenly realized I loved her.

She and I had talked on the phone a couple of times but I can't say I knew her; I had met her only briefly once - how could I know her?  That is why I was surprised when I found myself loving her.  I suppose God made it that way - with unconditional love for families.

How far does this unconditional love go?  Is there anything that can cause that love to fade?  I truly believe there isn't anything she could say or do that would change how I feel.  God must have placed a component of forgiveness in that unconditional love, one that they don't have to ask for forgiveness nor do you have to say I forgive you.  Isn't that amazing!  I think so!  Isn't God amazing!

This unconditional love God gives us is different from salvation.  God loves all of us, that is why He sent His son to die on the cross (for our sins) and rose the third day but to get His gift of salvation, we must acknowledge we are sinners and accept God's gift of salvation - eternal life.  This too is amazing!  God is so awesome!

Thanks for reading!
Linda <3