Last Night's Fuel Gathering

It was great. Pastor Shawn spoke about bitterness, and how it can truly affect your life. I never thought of it in the way that God revealed it through Shawn. I began to see the uselessness of being bitter. Here are some of my notes from his message (paraphrased):

Bitterness is keeping a record of wrongs, it boils up into Rage, which is uncontrolled passion. If you lose control, it can turn into Anger, which is a violent emotion. Anger can escalate into Brawling (fighting, punching), and become Slander (speaking ill about someone else). Any type of Malice, which is wanting to do harm someone or see them suffer, is wrong. Don't let Bitterness become part of who you are! Bitterness is an OPTIONAL response to bad things that happen. We deserve God's wrath, but He gives us grace.
"Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." -Ephesians 4:31-32

When I heard these words, they truly hit home for me. How can I expect God to forgive me for my wrongdoings, if I can't forgive someone else? Who am I to judge the actions of someone else? I need to let go of all the wrongs that have been done against me, and forgive those who committed them. I am the one who is choosing to let these things continue to bother me. I am the one who chooses to be angry. I need to ask God to help me forgive them. I need to give my anger and frustration up to Him. I need to stop being bitter, because all it's doing, is eating away at me. It's tearing me up inside, and will eventually affect my entire life. As I sit here, typing this, I offer up my bitterness and resentment to God. I pray that He helps me to become a more forgiving person.

If you would like to hear Pastor Shawn's message, go to www.towardtruth.com, and click on The Journey's Podcast.