PONDER THIS

We’ve all been hurt. There is not one of us who has not suffered some kind of hurt. And when we are hurt, our natural inclination is to react with anger. We react with resentment. We have a desire to get even and to hurt the one who has hurt us.

Christians are called to recognize that desire to be wrong. We recognize that as our old nature. In these moments, we are to confess that desire, deal with it, and get over it so it doesn’t become a root of bitterness. But a bitter person is different. When bitter people are hurt, they don’t deal with their bitterness but take it into their hearts. They begin to dwell on it and mull it over and over again. And then they look for other problems to justify this feeling of bitterness.

• How do you typically respond when you’ve been hurt?
• How might remembering the truth of the Gospel help you avoid bitterness when you’ve been hurt?

PRACTICE THIS

Take time to consider recent hurts you’ve experienced. Are any of these moving toward bitterness? Ask God to help you respond in a manner that honors Christ and does not hold onto hurt.

The Blight of Bitterness

Hebrews 12:14-15

In this message, Adrian Rogers warns about the blight of bitterness, and shows us the biblical way to uproot bitterness before it takes its full effect.

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Be Sure of Eternity

When a person knows that his future is secure, he can concentrate on the present.

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