of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.
How often do we allow other’s behavior to steal our joy? We have to stop letting other people’s bad choices take away our joy. We have no control over the actions of others. When a person’s actions negatively affect us we must remember that we only have control over how we react.
We all will, of course, experience hurt and pain as a result of the choices or decisions of others. However, we must be prayerful, seek God’s guidance and allow the Holy Spirit to give us the strength to deal with these emotions and not let them turn into bitterness and resentment. Many of us are good at pushing our emotions down. But bitterness has a way of bubbling back up and exploding when we least expect it causing trouble and defiling different areas of our life. We need to take the time to process our feelings, grieve, and if necessary get counseling, but there comes a time to let it go. The person holding on to anger, bitterness, and resentment only hurts themselves because it steals their joy and hinders them from truly experiencing God’s love and freedom. The joy of the Lord is our strength and through our God-given strength we can overcome the negative effects of someone else’s bad decision. Remember, your life’s direction is guided by God and not by others. God can and will turn things around in your favor. Just forgive, let go and let God work it out.
Prayer: Lord, we pray that we keep our focus on You, so that when we experience hurt and pain due to someone else’s behavior we do not become bitter and resentful. We pray that instead of seeking revenge, we seek You for comfort and strength. Trusting that You will work things out for our good and use the experience to help grow us.
Purpose in Action: Take a close assessment and ask yourself are you holding any bitterness or resentment because of someone else’s choice or behavior. Now, take that situation to God in prayer and ask Him to help you let it go.
For His Purpose,
LiKeisha
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