Monday, December 06, 2010

bitterness...

I was talking to Kaz last week about where my heart is with 1 person in particular. We get along well most of the time, but I feel like there is so much jealously and competition in this particular relationship. I bite my tongue a lot, but it gets old. So finally, I stood up for myself and after just felt horrible. There was no reason for me to lash out, because the comment thrown at me was ridiculous to begin with! So petty!

It really bothered me all last week. I don’t want tension or bitterness to be in any relationship I have. So, it really upset me. Why did I have all these negative feelings, better yet, how do I move forward in peacemaking? How do I let go of these thoughts and feelings, so that it doesn’t destroy me as a person or affect my relationship with Kaz? I talked with a good friend about it and her response was, I have no idea. I’m in a similar situation. That’s why you pay for counseling! I thought it was really funny and laughed every time I thought about it but it didn’t help me.

A day or two later I saw this quote on facebook. My answer, plain as day! "People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.... For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It never was between you and them anyway."-Mother Theresa
That quote hit me deep in my core. If it was true, and I knew it was, what was my problem with God? The answer is still outstanding. I’ve thought about it over and over and over. I think it goes hand in hand with peace. I can’t have peace in different areas of my life while there is sin in that area. I can pray until I’m blue in the face for this person and situation but if my heart is wrong and sinful towards them, we can’t have a peaceful relationship. The Lord has really been working in my heart the last couple days in this area. I don’t have the answers, but I know He will continue showing them to me and it honestly may not be very pretty:(


Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
(Psalm 34:14)

The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.
(Psalm 37:23,24)

Peace, I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
(John 14:27)

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
(Matthew 5:9)

10 comments:

Jennifer said...

That is an awesome quote by Mother Theresa and one that I can definitely use right now as well. I am dealing with a similar struggle. This is definitely a tough one to figure out.

Beth Priest said...

That quote reminds me of eph 6:12 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." It is not bw you and that person it is a spiritual battle.
I also think again about the scripture that commands "do not repay evil for evil but over come evil with good" -this is how God will protect you, he won't if you take matter into our own hands.

This scripture in 2 peter comes to mind too
"But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed."

Also in ALL relationships I think it is crucial for peace to humbly consider our own sin thoroughly before we can even glance at anothers. "41 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. "

Sometimes relationships cause us to suffer but that suffering is actually great for our walk with God bc He is allowing us to share in the sufferings of Christ! We get to know Him more bc of it! AND no suffering will be greater than that of Christ's that He has already conquered.

Sorry this is long. Hope we find a date to go to the lights!

Beth Priest said...

That quote reminds me of eph 6:12 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." It is not bw you and that person it is a spiritual battle.
I also think again about the scripture that commands "do not repay evil for evil but over come evil with good" -this is how God will protect you, he won't if you take matter into our own hands.

This scripture in 2 peter comes to mind too
"But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed."

Also in ALL relationships I think it is crucial for peace to humbly consider our own sin thoroughly before we can even glance at anothers. "41 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. "

Sometimes relationships cause us to suffer but that suffering is actually great for our walk with God bc He is allowing us to share in the sufferings of Christ! We get to know Him more bc of it! AND no suffering will be greater than that of Christ's that He has already conquered.

Sorry this is long. Hope we find a date to go to the lights!

Beth Priest said...

That quote reminds me of eph 6:12 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." It is not bw you and that person it is a spiritual battle.
I also think again about the scripture that commands "do not repay evil for evil but over come evil with good" -this is how God will protect you, he won't if you take matter into our own hands.

This scripture in 2 peter comes to mind too
"But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed."

Also in ALL relationships I think it is crucial for peace to humbly consider our own sin thoroughly before we can even glance at anothers. "41 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. "

Sometimes relationships cause us to suffer but that suffering is actually great for our walk with God bc He is allowing us to share in the sufferings of Christ! We get to know Him more bc of it! AND no suffering will be greater than that of Christ's that He has already conquered.

Sorry this is long. Hope we find a date to go to the lights!

Beth Priest said...

That quote reminds me of eph 6:12 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." It is not bw you and that person it is a spiritual battle.
I also think again about the scripture that commands "do not repay evil for evil but over come evil with good" -this is how God will protect you, he won't if you take matter into our own hands.

This scripture in 2 peter comes to mind too
"But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed."

Also in ALL relationships I think it is crucial for peace to humbly consider our own sin thoroughly before we can even glance at anothers. "41 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. "

Sometimes relationships cause us to suffer but that suffering is actually great for our walk with God bc He is allowing us to share in the sufferings of Christ! We get to know Him more bc of it! AND no suffering will be greater than that of Christ's that He has already conquered.

Sorry this is long. Hope we find a date to go to the lights!

Beth Priest said...

That quote reminds me of eph 6:12 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." It is not bw you and that person it is a spiritual battle.
I also think again about the scripture that commands "do not repay evil for evil but over come evil with good" -this is how God will protect you, he won't if you take matter into our own hands.

This scripture in 2 peter comes to mind too
"But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed."

Also in ALL relationships I think it is crucial for peace to humbly consider our own sin thoroughly before we can even glance at anothers. "41 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. "

Sometimes relationships cause us to suffer but that suffering is actually great for our walk with God bc He is allowing us to share in the sufferings of Christ! We get to know Him more bc of it! AND no suffering will be greater than that of Christ's that He has already conquered.

Sorry this is long. Hope we find a date to go to the lights!

Beth Priest said...

That quote reminds me of eph 6:12 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." It is not bw you and that person it is a spiritual battle.
I also think again about the scripture that commands "do not repay evil for evil but over come evil with good" -this is how God will protect you, he won't if you take matter into our own hands.

This scripture in 2 peter comes to mind too
"But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed."

Also in ALL relationships I think it is crucial for peace to humbly consider our own sin thoroughly before we can even glance at anothers. "41 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. "

Sometimes relationships cause us to suffer but that suffering is actually great for our walk with God bc He is allowing us to share in the sufferings of Christ! We get to know Him more bc of it! AND no suffering will be greater than that of Christ's that He has already conquered.

Sorry this is long. Hope we find a date to go to the lights!

Beth Priest said...

That quote reminds me of eph 6:12 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." It is not bw you and that person it is a spiritual battle.
I also think again about the scripture that commands "do not repay evil for evil but over come evil with good" -this is how God will protect you, he won't if you take matter into our own hands.

This scripture in 2 peter comes to mind too
"But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed."

Also in ALL relationships I think it is crucial for peace to humbly consider our own sin thoroughly before we can even glance at anothers. "41 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. "

Sometimes relationships cause us to suffer but that suffering is actually great for our walk with God bc He is allowing us to share in the sufferings of Christ! We get to know Him more bc of it! AND no suffering will be greater than that of Christ's that He has already conquered.

Sorry this is long. Hope we find a date to go to the lights!

Beth Priest said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Danielle said...

Amy, I love that quote by Mother Theresa! I have so been in this place and had to really work on my own heart issues in order to better deal with another person!!! Praying for you!