Sometimes I have a problem letting things go. I am not talking about throwing away an old blender or the kids' art project from 1st grade but letting go of the feeling when someone did you wrong. Maybe I am not alone in that.
Let’s consider what we read in Hebrews 12:15; “See to it that no one comes short of the
grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it
many be defiled;”. Here is a warning to us about a dangerous under-the-surface
growth that can bring trouble and ruin, bitterness. Bitterness is the lingering resentment that
comes when are angered or disappointed. At first, it seems natural but the
longer it stays the more it overtakes.
However, notice why this happens, it is when
we come short of the grace of God. Grace is the forgiveness we get that we do
not deserve. When we do not fully grasp that we have been forgiven, it keeps us
from forgiving. We cannot let go of what another did to us because we never grasped
how much we have done to Him.
Arrogance and self-righteousness often go hand
in hand with grudges and unforgiveness. If we think we have never been wrong,
we cannot see the need to forgive those who do wrong to us. If we clearly see
ourselves as one in need of grace, we are more likely to give it to others.
The root of
bitterness is killed by the embracement of grace.
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