Hebrews 12: 14-15
I choose not to let bitterness take root in my life (v15). It is hard, at times, and something I’ve really been struggling with over the last few weeks. It’s much easier to be angry than to feel hurt. It’s much easier to respond bitterly than to let people see you cry. People even give you permission to be angry… it’s part of the process; they almost expect it. But for me, it doesn’t help.
The anger, often the result of seeking out fault in the other person, distracts me from looking at myself and my fault. It keeps me from seeking God’s good in the situation and causes me to miss His greater purpose. It keeps me from admitting that I cared and from acknowledging the gift of sharing part of my life with another person, even if only for a short period of my life.
These verses talk about a better way, deflecting anger and bitterness, refusing to let it take root in my life, choosing to live in peace with others (v 14), perhaps even those who have hurt us. I think about the people that I have hurt in my life, and I realize that it is only through grace that we can return pain with forgiveness, letting God’s love dissolve the hurt, and intentionally choosing the path of peace over bitterness. I am grateful for people in my life who have chosen that path, and that is the person that I want to be. I want to mirror God’s grace. I want to choose to see His love and His forgiveness reflected in my life. I choose peace.
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