As we continue into this new year, we’re reminded that God is greater! God is greater than anything that we’re leaving behind last year. God is greater than anything that we will face this year. God is greater than any of our highs or lows! God is greater!
Not only is He greater, but His plans for us are far grander, too!
Ephesians 3:20 (AMP)
Jesus is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us.
I don’t know about you, but for me, this is a different way in which God’s word is a double edged sword. I really do believe that Jesus is able to do all of this! However, I don’t always experience superabundantly more that I dare ask or think.
In fact, there are lots of things that I can think of and do often ask for which God has even already promised to do that I’m still waiting on.
Am I the only one? I figured not…
Proverbs 13:12
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire is fulfilled, it is a tree of life.
The period between the promise and the fulfillment is a time that puts our faith to the test. How firmly and how long are we willing to keep hold of that hope rope to keep our souls anchored to Christ?
It is a time where one of two things are going to grow. Our faith or bitterness.
Romans 4:19-21
9 Without weakening in his faith, Abraham faced the fact that his body was as good as dead – since he was about a hundred years old – and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.
God is greater than any impossibility!
This waiting season is an opportunity for bitterness to root into our lives. We also began talking a little bit last week about how sin can also introduce bitterness into our lives even after we have been forgiven. After all, God rarely removes the natural consequences caused by sin.
Whether it be our own choice to sin or whether it be that someone sinned against us, we are left broken. Those cracks in our lives are in need of healing. If they are not, they leave us wide open for more hurt and for bitterness to take root.
Hebrews 12:14-17
14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 16 See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. 17 Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.
Like Esau, none of us can go back in time and change what has been done. What’s done is done.
However, God is greater than our past! He is able to heal and restore and reconcile and make all things new! He doesn’t do it by changing what has been done, but by transforming us now.
Remember from this month’s declaration what Jesus desires to do for us and for us to do for others?
Isaiah 61:2-3
2 to comfort all who mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion –
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
Bitterness exists much like a root. A root grows slowly and quietly and unnoticed under the surface. Well, at least to those around us. Then, when everybody least expects it, something triggers that root to burst up through the soil and bear fruit.
Oh, and those fruits aren’t love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, or self-control, either!
They’re usually dissension, hatred, selfish ambition, envy, and definitely fits of rage.
Things that we thought were forgiven and left far behind us in our past in an instant pop up right here and right now, but a thousand times more intense and explosive!
The classic amplified version translates verse 15 like this:
Hebrews 12:15 (AMPC)
Exercise foresight and be on the watch to look [after one another], to see that no one falls back from and fails to secure God’s grace (His unmerited favor and spiritual blessing), in order that no root of resentment (rancor, bitterness, or hatred) shoots forth and causes trouble and bitter torment, and the many become contaminated and defiled by it.
If we are honest with ourselves, bitterness growing roots beneath the surface of our lives might surprise everyone else, but it should not be a surprise to us.
Bitterness is usually encouraged to grow as our thoughts often take us back to hurt and wrongdoing that continue to widen the cracks of brokenness in our lives not allowing healing to take place and forcing those roots to grow deeper and wider darkening our souls within.
Bitterness when someone has sinned against us…
It’s not right!
It’s not fair!
I deserve better!
How could they do that to me and then just act like nothing happened?
Bitterness over misunderstandings with others…
They never even gave me a chance!
They just don’t get it!
If they would just listen to me!
Bitterness about our own sin…
I can’t believe I was so stupid!
What was I thinking?
Why did I do that?
Bitterness over disappointment…
Why not me?
Did I do something wrong?
Is there something wrong with me?
God, you promised!
These thoughts and questioning are more than just thoughts! They are crowbars prying open even wider wounds and hurts so that bitterness can gain an even greater chokehold in our lives. They are prophetic self-declarations that we proclaim over ourselves.
The resulting bitterness separates us from God, separate us from love, and separate us from others.
Proverbs 17:9
NLT
Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends.
AMP
He who covers and forgives an offense seeks love, But he who repeats or gossips about a matter separates even close friends.
Repeating sin or discouragement is not just something that we do externally through gossip to others. We for more frequently repeat them when we choose to dwell on these thoughts thinking them over and over again. The result is separation.
What, then, is the solution?
How do we overcome bitterness?
How do we rid ourselves of it?
Ephesians 4:29-32
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths (neither in your thoughts), but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another (and to yourself!), forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Forgiveness is not sweeping wrongdoing under the rug and not dealing with it. Forgiveness is boldly confronting the sin and calling it out for what it is. Whether it be our own sin or someone else’s sin against us. Forgiveness is then letting go and placing it in the hands of Jesus.
Forgiveness is choosing to no longer drag that past sin along with us into the present nor our futures. We carry with us the lessons learned from it, we learn how to prevent it from happening again, but not the sin itself.
Forgiveness is choosing to agree that vengeance is Jesus’ and not ours to administer.
Just as bitterness sneaks in through a slow process rooting itself throughout our souls, ridding ourselves of it is a process. We do not want to grieve the Holy Spirit and we do not want to be ones who drag down those around us!
Getting rid of bitterness is necessary for us all! We must fight to rid ourselves of it!
2 Corinthians 10:4-5
4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Every time that the thoughts that bring about bitterness arise, we must take them captive and overcome them with the truth of Christ! Every time because it will be a process and not a one-time event.
Pushing and shoving the hurt down further every time that it comes to mind and pretending that it isn’t there won’t work. In fact, it only encourages bitterness to grow. We must be honest about our hurt and allow it to surface.
Then, we must take that hurt to Jesus who is the only One able to release forgiveness and healing and comfort.
When those things come to mind, we must honestly acknowledge them and then take those thoughts captive and force them into the light of Christ and counter them and demolish them with His simple truth.
Yes, what I did was wrong, but I am forgiven.
Yes, what they did to me was wrong, but I have forgiven them.
No, I haven’t received the promise yet, but God is faithful and it’s not over yet.
God is greater than bitterness!
God’s forgiveness is greater than any sin!
God’s healing is greater than any of our hurts!
God’s transforming power is greater than our wounds!