Text: James 3:14-18
Memory verse:
“Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.”
Ephesians 4:31
Stephen Ossten once said, “Bitterness is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.” What a deception!
Bitterness is that state of mind that willfully holds on to angry feelings and waiting to revenge at any available opportunity. It’s a strong feeling of deep anger and hatred arising from a perceived thought of ill-treatment. Offenses and hurts are sure to come but if you prolong the anger, it boils up within to become bitterness.
“Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry—but don’t use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don’t stay angry. Don’t go to bed angry. Don’t give the devil that kind of foothold in your life.”
(Eph 4:26-27 MSG).
You simply give the devil a chance to attack and make your life his refuse bin for all diseases when you live in bitterness.
“He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.”
(Ecc 10:8 KJV).
The destructive effect of bitterness on your health is usually gradual. It acts like a little fire that is ignored but eventually sets the whole house ablaze.
Bitterness corrodes like a rust iron. It eats up its victim internally like a tree eaten inside by insect borers. A gentle wind will eventually pull the tree down. Don’t let the devil kill you.
Bitterness grieves the spirit and takes away joy. Thus, it reduces the production of health inducing hormones and increases the stress inducing hormones. These stress inducing hormones have been shown to trigger all sorts of diseases and sicknesses in the body. They include, arthritis, hemorrhoids, cancer, glaucoma, high blood pressure, irritable bowel syndrome, stroke, tumor, gall stones, varicose veins, inflammation, degeneration and depression. According to our text, every evil works thrive in bitterness.
Friends, don’t wait for your offenders to ask for forgiveness before you forgive them, if you want to enjoy your health. Choose to let go. Prove that you have truly released them by praying, not that they will die but that God will show them mercy. Don’t give a foothold for the devil in your life.
Prayer points
1. Father, I sincerely forgive all my offenders today and I pray You show them mercy in Jesus name.
2. I pull the root of bitterness out of my life and I break the foothold of the devil over my health in Jesus name.
Today’s declarations
1. It’s more for my benefits when I forgive my perceived offenders than to their benefits.
2. I stop the production of stress inducing hormones and reverse sickness when I keep away from bitterness.
Contact: pastor@thf.org.ng