The Law of Forgiveness

“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, 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

Bitterness is a result of not dealing with being hurt and angry. Consider this thought, “When anger is allowed to fester, and a person ruminates on their hurt, the sad result is bitterness. Bitterness, then, is the result of anger changing from an experience to a belief. Bitterness is seething and constant. Bitter people carry very heavy burdens, as do angry people, and bitter people tend to “infect” those around them as angry people do as well.”

I think it would be good for us to examine the face of bitterness. We disguise bitterness as many righteous things, and in so doing, we are deceiving ourselves. The most common place we see bitterness revealed is in the display of self-righteousness. Self-righteousness is seen when a person “plays the martyr.” Most often, it takes a professional counselor to help you discover what is hidden within your heart. They can guide you toward healing. Counselors can be found via Google, but the recommended agency is NuWell Counseling Services. They have online Christian Counselors that will help you heal the hurts caused by the effects to become unforgiveness.

Remember, an unforgiving bitter person is easy to spot, for you can see it on their face. Their jaw is often clenched, their lips are pressed together, and they look angry all the time. There is a hardened shell around that is almost visible. Often folks say that they are fearful of approaching them because they look like they will bite your head off if you try! (Proverbs 5:4) Is that you?

Therefore, another face of bitterness is loneliness. With all this whirling around, they frequently find themselves alone. Who wants to associate with someone like this? This only adds fuel to the fire. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? Can a fig tree produce olives or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.

As a result, the faces of bitterness come from the heart. A person with a bitter heart is in deep difficulty because their heart has ceased to be focused on God or His good working in their life. The extent of believing in God’s sovereignty often ends in blaming God for circumstances, as Naomi did in the book of Ruth.

Consider how bitterness might be rooted deep within your heart. If the Lord reveals it to you, then humbly walk forth in confession and repentance. Ask Him to replace your heart of bitterness with a heart of love for Him and for others. First and most important, forgiveness is not always necessarily earned; it’s a choice! It’s a sacrifice! When everything inside of us screams NO! So far from fair! As a reminder, God may reveal unforgiveness to you by speaking with another person. This is why obtaining a counselor (online is effective and convenient by way of Telehealth) is a great start.

NuWell Counseling Services offer online Christian Counseling that’s convenient, effective, and affordable. Their team of online professional Christian counselors is trained and educated to help clients navigate through life’s circumstances. We are by your side as your heal your heart. Call us TODAY and learn to THRIVE!