Paul could’ve chosen hate to fight back against his captors, but instead, he chose to believe that God was in control and that everything else paled in comparison to the gospel of Jesus Christ being preached. Paul knew that although his calling required much of him, there was still joy to be found in the hope of lives being saved and transformed by Jesus. How is it possible to live out this kind of radical love, forgiveness, and joy for life and others? How can we truly overcome the root of bitterness in our lives, and live according to the bible and the teachings of Jesus? Here are three steps for helping to uproot and overcome bitterness in our lives:
1. Identify areas of bitterness.
Take some time to quietly reflect and ask the Lord if there are any areas of your life where bitterness might be taking root. Some areas may stand out to you pretty blatantly, but there might also be some blind spots. Reaching out to a close friend, family member, mentor, or pastor that you trust can be really helpful when identifying these areas. Often, those closest to us can help us see our blind spots and address them (Psalm 139:24).
2. Pray.
After you’ve identified some areas of your life where bitterness might be taking root, spend some time in prayer with Jesus. Confess to him the areas where you’ve held onto grudges towards others or towards a disappointing situation and ask for His help. Ask Him for forgiveness and for healing in these areas. Ask for a renewed mindset, peace towards others, and joy. Our God is a God of comfort, love, and restoration. He longs to see us made whole and to heal every broken situation (Isaiah 61:3).
3. Reconcile with others.
While it might not always be possible in every situation, if there are areas of your life that you feel God is calling you to repair, make every effort to do so. This could look like a phone call, a text message, or meeting an individual in person to help reconcile a situation and put any hostility between you to rest. One of the beautiful things about the Kingdom of God is that it calls us into a life of love, forgiveness, and unity with others as we begin to see those who have wronged us as beloved children of God, and as brothers and sisters in Christ. (Romans 12:18, James 5:16, Psalm 133:1)
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