Turning the Bitter into Sweet

On Sunday morning, we got to worship with a friend of ours, Joe Grubbs.  He made a statement that really stuck with me – “Don’t be bitter be better. “  It is easy to allow the words that others have spoken over us to take on offenses and allow us to be bitter and take on a cynical attitude to all who are around us.  Sometimes the high road is not paved and smooth but rugged and filled with briars.

What happens if it is already too late and we have allowed the bitterness to affect us? Our thinking has become clouded by those hurts?   I have hope for you today, God is able to turn our bitter waters sweet again.  The choice is ours though if we want to remain the same or coming to a loving God and be honest about our situation.  Just like when I take a cup of coffee with a bitter aftertaste and add some Italian Sweet Cream to it and it is forever changed.  God is able to take our bitterness and make us sweet again by adding His healing love to our situation.

I am sure that there were those that told Jesus that his loving us was a mistake as He hung on the cross for our sakes.  Rather than being bitter his response was better, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”  Bitterness is like acid it does more damage to the containers that it is stored in then to the object that it is poured out on.  Today, I hope that you are encouraged to take your bitter hurts and disappointments and lay them at the feet of a loving God who is able to heal our hearts and allow us to say, “I Forgive.”