by David Brenneman
"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer." Psalms 19:14.
You who speak in bitterness towards another, do you ever take consideration of this verse?
You who wish ill upon another, has this verse ever crossed your mind?
You who pursue your life, your career, has the real and true approval of your Savior been a real consideration?
Proverbs 23:7a "For as he thinks within himself, so he is."
Whether it's within the four walls of your home or the four walls of your church, quite often we look for like-minded thoughts and feelings. We look for someone to validate what we think and how we feel. We look everywhere, more often than not, than to our Creator.
We see people in our world who are wrapped up in the very root of bitterness who don't see it themselves. They're convinced of what they are and to get them to listen to reason is an uphill battle. To make matters worse they would rather put their purported adversary under a microscope than to look at themselves in a mirror.
"For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin." Romans 7:14-25 NASB1995
We really don't like to see or to hear that we are in a war, a war for control of our hearts and minds.
We hate looking at photos of the graphic realities of physical wars.
We lie to ourselves in that we think that it's possible to have a utopia here on Earth.
My Dear Reader, not until AFTER the 7 year Great Tribulation will any semblance of utopia happen here on Earth when Jesus Himself rules this world with no interference from Satan...for a thousand years.
In the meantime, we are at war. All Christians are behind enemy lines. That's a Biblical truth. That's a Biblical reality.
If your thoughts aren't in accordance with the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace in Christ Jesus, then might it be in thoughts of division, of self, of potentially destroying what God has joined together?
Be it in friendship or in marriage, God brings people together. Some for us to teach and carry along in the faith, others to be our equals in the faith and still others to be those pillars of the faith that we look to for help and assistance in this life.
We have no right to put others under a microscope when we ourselves have things between us and God. Jesus was very specific about that point. Don't look to take the speck out of your brother’s eye when you're not doing anything about the log in your own.
Do you really really care what Jesus thinks about your thoughts? Do you really really consider that you are really a hypocrite when you're claiming to be a Christian and yet are secretly raging in bitterness towards another?
Jesus came, lived a sinless life, was horribly abused, mocked, scorned, nailed to a cross, for every single human being in human history. From the greatest of them to the most horrific of human beings. Jesus died for everyone. Period.
Our thoughts will either defend or accuse us. Our thoughts SHOULD be set on things above and not on the things that are of this world. Our thoughts SHOULD be of the health and welfare of others.
"Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all." Ephesians 4:1-6.
"Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you." Ephesians 4:30-32.
My Dear Reader, be sure your sin in this area will find you out if indeed its something you're attempting to keep to yourself.
Lastly, if bitterness and wrath and anger have been a part of your life...make absolutely sure it's not really aimed at God rather than the Earthly object of your bitterness, anger and wrath. Many people actually do have a problem with God and will attack others rather than admit this sin in their life. They will even not see how pious they are. They will, in all truthfulness, have more in common with that Pharisee who was giving God a litany of all he does for God and saying how much better he was that other man who wouldn't even look to Heaven and asked God to be merciful to him a sinner.
I have, in my short life, seen people immerse themselves in everything "spiritual" to hide the truth that they are mad at God. They don't even have the spiritual fortitude or growth to see that they are listening to false teachers, false prophets and the doctrines of demons.
"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer." Psalms 19:14.
We are to speak to the truth in love.
We are to prefer one another above ourselves.
We are to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.
We are to put to death the sins in our lives that are keeping our relationship with Jesus vibrant and faithful.
Bitterness, rage, anger, self-centered ideologies, all will put up walls between you and Jesus Christ. You will never, ever, say that Psalm 19:14 is true for you if your harboring things against others or against God.
All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. Lockman Foundation
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