Friday, June 19, 2015
Bitter pill's joy
This has been a very hard lesson for me this week. I say that because I personally have struggled very much with it. Lately at Real Life we've been studying the book of Proverbs and wisdom and on reading Chapter 14 I came across a verse so unlike anything I've ever read. We've all been hurt in life by one thing or another or people. Mostly by people if we're honest. I once took a Ministry of the Pastor class and Dr. Bradshaw said "99% of all your problems are going to be people problems." How we choose to react to that determines a lot about us. I will tell you this in all honesty Thursday morning by the time I got off work i was so mentally and emotionally drained by the customer service job I do that I felt as if I literally had someone just pushing on my head and holding it down. I drove home from work no noise in the car and cried the entire way home and then got home and just attacked the punching bag and cried more. Most of the day I was praying too. As I said this has been very hard for me. I don't want to dislike people and I find myself doing so. Bitterness is a prison of our own making. You've probably heard this before "We all are prisoners here of our own device." The writers of Hotel California were right about this. I've been bitter about things and I know you have too we're not immune to it like we would like to be. Don't get me wrong I am not trying to excuse my behavior in any way I'm honestly admitting I have a problem and I need help. Proverbs 14:10 "Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one can fully share its joy." Read that slowly because I had to read it about 4-5 times before I caught what it said. Joy and bitterness are not things I would ever put in the same sentence. Then you catch what it said. See your personal bitterness gives you private joy but you miss that you're the only one enjoying it. Studies have been done by scientists and doctors that prove bitterness can affect your health. So at this point you might be saying "Zac so what?" A few years ago I had been hurt by the dating game and by people I wanted to be friends with. I was at Camp Zephyr. This was a question i posed to a young lady on the drama team named Mary Jo Kelso. My question was this. "I've been hurt many times in the past and it seems that when I get hurt I put up more and more of a wall to protect myself. Is there some more constructive way I can respond?" When God shows you bitterness in your heart its for a reason he wants to remove it and improve your relationship with him. I believe my answer to my question to Mary Jo can be found in Ephesians 4:30-32 "And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words and slander as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you."
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