Ephesians 4:29-5:2 Amplified Bible
29 Do not let unwholesome [foul, profane, worthless, vulgar] words ever come out of your mouth, but only such speech as is good for building up others, according to the need and the occasion, so that it will be a blessing to those who hear [you speak]. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [but seek to please Him], by whom you were sealed and marked [branded as God’s own] for the day of redemption [the final deliverance from the consequences of sin]. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor [perpetual animosity, resentment, strife, fault-finding] and slander be put away from you, along with every kind of malice [all spitefulness, verbal abuse, malevolence]. 32 Be kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted [compassionate, understanding], forgiving one another [readily and freely], just as God in Christ also forgave [a]you.
Be Imitators of God
5 Therefore become imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]; 2 and walk continually in love [that is, value one another—practice empathy and compassion, unselfishly seeking the best for others], just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God [slain for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance.
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Bitterness is a deeply rooted issue, difficult to eradicate completely especially when injustice, hurt, suffering, and other forms of pain are involved.
If it remains and is never uprooted, it has the ability to grip us so tightly that it will squeeze the life out of us, preventing us from experiencing the goodness of God and the joy available to us.
It’s definitely a life-killer, destroying us from within, if we don’t rid ourselves of it, which, of course, we can’t do on our own because we need God’s strength to overcome it.
Because we aren’t strong enough on our own, Philippians 4:13 reminds us, “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.”
Forgiveness Frees Us from Bitterness
The Apostle Paul explains in Acts 8:23 when bitterness invades our lives, it places us in the clutches of sin: “For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”
Even with all our culture’s trendy self-help programs, improvement courses, and counseling opportunities, it’s impossible to rid ourselves of bitterness without forgiveness, we need to forgive those we hold bitterness towards.
It involves our forgiving others, often those who aren’t sorry, think they have nothing to be sorry for, and believe they don’t have anything to be forgiven for.
Proverbs 14:10 describes how personal bitterness is in each person, with no one else truly knowing what we’re holding in our hearts: “Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy.”
Like Mary Poppins’ song says, “Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down,” we need God’s sweet forgiveness to wash away the bitterness from our hearts.
Even though our fallen human nature clings to bitterness as alligators cling to their pray, because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we have all been given the ability to let the bite forces of bitterness go and resist the sin of holding onto it.
As Romans 6:14 reassures us, “For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.”
Okay, self! It’s Time to “Let It Go!”
The New Year is a time for us to strain, to further stretch our faith to new limits, ultimately surrender, let go of all bitterness and resist the need to carry it over to another year. Hebrews 12:15 warns us, “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.”
Because God calls us to let go of all bitterness, we need to obey. Just as Paul urges us in Ephesians 4:31, it’s time for us to agree with God as we all sing the Frozen song, “Let It Go.”
Sadly, many of us struggle too hard with letting go of bitterness towards others, resisting the tug of forgiveness of self and other’s in our hearts, while also not praying, studying the WORD of God, knowing how or where to begin, wrongly believing there is far too much bitterness built up inside us to be freed from it.
However, we still need to face the issue of bitterness head-on as Christians, because God unconditionally loves, forgives us; we really have no legitimate excuse or justification for holding any measure of bitterness against anyone.
Jesus urges in Mark 11:25, “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”
Luke 23:33-35 Amplified Bible
The Crucifixion
33 When they came to the place called [a]The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. 34 [b]And Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” They cast lots, dividing His clothes among themselves. 35 Now the people stood by, watching; but even the rulers ridiculed and sneered at Him, saying, “He saved others [from death]; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed) of God, His Chosen One.”
Jesus didn’t just preach it, He lived it by forgiving the people who crucified Him.
Dying, upon the cross, “Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they divided up His clothes by casting lots” (Luke 23:34).
Letting Go of the Past
Philippians 3:12-14 The Message
Focused on the Goal
12-14 I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.
It’s easy to get trapped in the past, isn’t it?
We hold on to things we wish we could undo, replaying those moments in our minds again and again.
It’s as if we are carrying a heavy bag full of regret, guilt, or past mistakes—constantly reminding ourselves of our shortcomings.
I know I’ve struggled with that—especially when I have wished I could turn back time and do things differently.
But here Paul reminds us that the past is behind us, and that dwelling on it doesn’t help us to grow.
In fact, that can hold us back from the new things God wants to do in our lives.
There’s a freedom in forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, just as Paul describes in this passage.
God is continually calling us to press on— to pursue the goal he has for us.
This doesn’t mean forgetting the lessons of the past, but it does mean no longer letting the past define our future.
There’s a prize ahead, and it’s waiting for all of us who are ready to leave our old life behind.
Be it Resolved: In God’s name above all names. let us press on towards the newness God has for us, not letting our past mistakes or regrets hold us back.
In the Name of God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
Praying ….
Psalm 86:1-13 New American Standard Bible
Pleading and Trust.
A Prayer of David.
86 Incline Your ear, Lord, and answer me;
For I am afflicted and needy.
2 Protect my [a]soul, for I am godly;
You my God, save Your servant who trusts in You.
3 Be gracious to me, Lord,
For I call upon You all day long.
4 Make the soul of Your servant joyful,
For to You, Lord, I lift up my soul.
5 For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all who call upon You.
6 Listen, Lord, to my prayer;
And give Your attention to the sound of my pleading!
7 On the day of my trouble I will call upon You,
For You will answer me.
8 There is no one like You among the gods, Lord,
Nor are there any works like Yours.
9 All nations whom You have made will come and worship before You, Lord,
And they will glorify Your name.
10 For You are great, and You do [b]wondrous deeds;
You alone are God.
11 Teach me Your way, Lord;
I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name.
12 I will give thanks to You, Lord my God, with all my heart,
And I will glorify Your name forever.
13 For Your graciousness toward me is great,
And You have saved my soul from the [c]depths of [d]Sheol.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 