What is a negative experience or circumstance in your life that holds you back or that you believe defines you? “If it weren’t for...” “My life would be so much better / easier if...” “My life would be so much better if I had a different family. If this didn’t happen to me when I was little, if I didn’t have this illness, if we hadn’t moved, if we had more money, if .” “I could be used by God if....” “I’m this way because ____.” What is something that defines you. If it’s been allowed to define you, it hinders you. The tendency to situations like this is to become bitter. You say, I’m not bitter. The word alone doesn’t set well. Bitterness defined means, anger and disappointment at being treated unfairly; resentment.; sharpness of taste; lack of sweetness.
Bitterness of the experience has filled your life. You've been handed lemons, hypothetically. Not only do you dislike them, it’s bitter, sour, and sharp for everyone around you. You are not allowing yourself to be used to the potential He made for you. Perhaps it becomes watered down with “time”, but the bitterness is still there. It may be easier hidden from others, or only surface periodically and you just kind of stir it up, cover it up, but you know it’s there. Prov. 14.10, “The heart knoweth his own bitterness; and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy. Bitterness: Robs God of His due glory, Robs yourself of a joyful, abundant life, Robs others of the influence God intends for you to be to them Imagine a cup filled with the lemons you have been given and the water of time. This is that situation / circumstance; the bitterness of the experience. You relive it in your mind. You believe that you can’t be used by God in the same way as others because ____. You excuse your actions and words because, well, this happened... or, that’s just who I am. You become bitter toward this experience and allow the sour circumstance to become part of who you are instead of.... (James 1.2-4) Choosing to count it joy and choosing to learn and grow through it. Some of the genuinely happiest and joyful people I have met have gone through incredibly difficult things, but you’d never know. They don’t wander around holding up their glass telling everyone what happened to them, who hurt them, or how life wasn’t fair. They don’t live in bitterness, harshly, and excuse their actions by pointing to their glass. They don’t blame it on “personality” or “just who they are now.” So, selfish, prideful, and a jerk? Got it. No, They believe that God has/d a plan for their life, and they walk the journey He has set ahead of them knowing that He will lead the way and prepare them for what He has asked from them. They would have missed out on so many opportunities to be a blessing and encouragement if they were so focused on themselves. They would never have improved the situation if they were unable to move on from this point. Count it all joy... when you face trials. “Do not sorrow over your trials, do not look upon them as misfortunes and calamities, they are black vessels, but they are loaded with gold. Your choicest mercies come to you disguised as your sharpest trials. Welcome them; do not sorrow over them, but rejoice in them.” Go through it, with endurance, that ye may be whole, wanting nothing. For His glory. God is greater than your highs and lows. God is sovereign. God knows exactly where you are at, what you are facing, what you have been through, even if no one else in the world is aware. 2 Corinthians 12.9, And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Joy is a direct fruit of being right with God and in His presence. So whatever *this* represents for you, Sweeten it with joy. Sweeten it with grace. Sweeten it with forgiveness. Sweeten it with contentment. When life gives you bitter lemons.... Make lemonade. You can count it all joy because His grace is sufficient. It’s enough. For you. For me. For every situation. You may say, But you don’t know... No. Is His grace sufficient? I just can’t... Wait. Is His grace sufficient? There’s no way I could... Stop. Is. His. Grace. Sufficient? IT IS. No matter the state of the world, how painful your experience is.... you can choose joy. The most joyful people are not those whose life goes exactly as they expect, but rather those who choose to find joy in the most unexpected places. When you have the joy of the Lord in your heart, you can find joy in some pretty strange places. Your life can either repel others to the gospel or draw them to it. Don’t let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Stay sweet. Count it all joy.
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January 2023
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