“It is possible both to accept and to endure loneliness without bitterness when there is a vision of the glory beyond.”- Elisabeth Elliot, The Path of Loneliness (2007) In Chapter 6 (“The Transformation of Loneliness”) of Transforming Loneliness, Ruth Graham talks about two types of transformation. Some occur as an act of God, without human […]
“Even the most imperfect, messy forgiveness filled with hesitation and resistance is better than letting bitterness have its way with your heart. The sum total of even the smallest inklings and considerations of forgiveness is always better than one moment of full-on bitterness.”- Lysa TerKeurst In Chapter 14 (“Living the Practice of Forgiveness Every Day”), […]
“Resentment is usually attached to a specific person for a specific incident. Bitterness is usually the collective feeling of all our resentments. But however you define these words, they are part of the same problem.”- Lysa TerKeurst In Chapter 13 (“Bitterness is a Bad Deal That Makes Big Promises”) of Forgiving What You Can’t Forget, […]
“Hardened hearts have such a propensity to get shattered. Soft hearts don’t easily break. . . . Undealt with hurt and pain hardens like parched soil. And the only way to soften it afresh is for the tears to fall soft and liquid and free-flowing once again.”- Lysa TerKeurst Lysa TerKeurst concludes Chapter 12 of […]
“Bitterness wears the disguises of other chaotic emotions that are harder to attribute to the original source of hurt.”- Lysa TerKeurst “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.”- […]
“Loss is a crucible. It presses into the deepest places from which we loved, causing such pain we often don’t know how to make sense of the despair. Memories as crystal clear as if they were happening right now dance in front of us, letting us see the beauty of what used to be our […]
“We all have a Buster. Or two or ten. . . . Maybe you’ve moved on. If not, a question needs to be raised regarding your happiness. Resentment sucks satisfaction from the soul. Bitterness consumes it. Revenge is a monster with a monstrous appetite. . . . Left unchecked, grudges send us on a downward […]
“When you take offense you start playing defense with your life. . . . You let skepticism and cynicism seep into your soul. If you don’t deal with it, taking offense festers in your spirit until it turns into bitterness. And bitterness doesn’t just rob us of our joy; it steals the blessing.”- Mark Batterson […]
“Victims don’t want to be proactive about changing — they want to be proactive about making sure that the person who hurt them pays. . . . Thus we open the doors of our hearts and welcome in the Trojan horse of bitterness. And it stands there, a monument, a constant reminder of a debt […]
“Envy preaches a false gospel of favoritism and injustice, and because it does, it never comforts your heart. People who’ve been captured by envy seldom have peace, seldom have hope, and seldom find rest in God’s care.”- Paul David Tripp “I loathe my very life; therefore, I will give free rein to my complaint and […]
“Anger feels empowering in the moment but leads to feelings of guilt, sadness, and even shame. If you don’t address your anger, before long you’ll feel chaotic inside.”- Alison Cook and Kimberly Miller “If we do not transform our pain, we most assuredly will transmit it.”- Richard Rohr In Chapter 9 (“Boundaries with Anger”) of […]
“Our emotions can tie us up, hold us down, and have a way of choking our resolve to forgive. They are roadblocks that keep us from moving forward with forgiveness.”- Kyle Idleman “In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the […]