Sunday, August 26, 2007

Bitterness

I was cleaning up a computer file today and came across this. I remember it was part of a study I did, but I can't remember when and where. Anyway, the Lord challenged me with this today.


Common Signs of Bitterness:

1. Gossip/Slander: In the process of complaining, we may gossip or slander that person. We may have nothing or very little good to say about that person.

2. Ungrateful/Complaining: Not grateful for this person. You may find yourself murmuring about them to others.

3. Judges motives: Whatever this person does you suspect negative motives in them. Even if they do something nice, you may think that there motives must be off.

4. Self-centered: When you find yourself spending a lot of time thinking about yourself and how this person affects you. Being absorbed with yourself and how this person has hurt you.

5. Excessive sorrow: Grief and hurt has crowded out any joy, peace, or love that you used to have. It has, in fact, filled up your heart. It may, at times, overwhelm you.

6. Vengeful: We may look for ways to avoid this person in order to “punish” them. We may try to give them a “cold shoulder” in a lot of different ways. We may pout in subtle ways. Or we may be less subtle and find ways to punish openly just to hurt them and pay them back for the hurt they have caused you.

7. Brooding: May brood over what has been done to you. You may find yourself waking in the morning thinking about what this person has done and you may fall asleep thinking on it as well.

8. Loss of joy: Lately, you may have little or no delight in your relationship with this person or with other people. You may even find that you have lost your delight in the Lord as well. Instead of God’s peace, your sin of bitterness may be taking over your heart. If you find yourself in depression, intense emotional pain or distress, please consider if maybe you are bitter toward someone.

9. Critical/Judgmental attitude: It is difficult for you to take the focus off what this person has done to you, therefore you no longer even see what you are doing wrong.

4 comments:

LeAnne said...

Hi, I found your blog through one of your comments on "Sole Femininity" and have been reading you for a couple weeks now. I read what you posted on bitterness when I woke up this morning, and it was just such a piercing read as I was struggling with something that happened yesterday, and I didn't even realize it was a struggle with bitterness - I just thought I was wronged - ha! Anyways, thanks for posting that and giving a sister half way around the world a nudge in the right direction. Do you mind if I print it out? Blessings...

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
padivan said...

You are more than welcome to print this off. Thanks for asking and for stopping by. Visit anytime.
Di

anne62 said...

you just described two of the last three years of my life. Bitterness can creap in so very easily. My bitterness was against God and He dealt handily with me. So humilating but so necessary for me to see and let God remove the trash in my own heart. The trash of legalism. I loved your post. IT is so very important especially with Christian Women to boldly speak the truth of who God is in us and how He wants us to live.