Resentment
brings______________? Does Resentment make you feel offended or aggrieved? Does Resentment give you a dose of bitterness? If so, watch out you may be in for some troubles according to Hebrews 12:15: “See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many..
At times I feel aggrieved when I see a lack of integrity, or dishonesty, from others and or myself. I stand in my own circle and think, why in the world are they or me wasting time being of such character? Why? This is not to even mention the chaos in one’s mind when a politician proves to have no integrity after spending so much of their time making a hullabaloo over how great their character is, when it isn’t.
I could stand in a circle and say that is their problem and move on. Or, at least move around in the circle. Have you ever resented the fact the someone has gifts or talents that you don’t have? Do you walk around saying my sister/brother got all the talent in the family and left nothing for me. I applied for the job but someone without the right qualification got the position because of whom they know. The question is “Whom do you know”? Maybe both of you knew the ONE from whom all blessings flow?
Have you been part of a social where either you or them thought it cute, sweet, or funny, to try and put another culture, race or religion down? Did you wonder, do I even know myself being a part of this with my stupid laughter? Did you ever stop to think, it may not even be me but a root of bitterness. Think for a moment. You had a conflict or other circumstance that caused you to resent another. You acted on it with words, deeds or thoughts. A SEED, yes, a tiny seed and it took root and turned into a root of bitterness. It has grown into a big tree and produced many trees just like itself. You understand like “The Terminator.” The “Terminator” feels no pain, has no emotions and will stop at nothing to accomplish its mission.
“See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” In other words watch it that you don’t become a Terminator’ and start producing after your own kind.
We can log the forest of our hearts. We can uproot the big old ugly dirty trees/branches and send them out to sea if we speak to it by Faith, thereby destroying the effects the terminator has had on us.
Jesus said, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you. (Luke 17:6)
As we celebrate “He is Risen” on Easter, let us rise to the occasion by allowing our Faith to roll the stones away from our hearts. When others see the tomb empty, let them cry out, They, too are Risen. Yes, Risen indeed. Happy Easter!
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Consider the lilies of the field… Matt 6:28
thedailylily.com 
Resentment brings bitterness. Resentment brings a lack of self worth. It makes you feel like a machine just going through routine daily activities. I read a book this week entitled “The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. It was a story about George Melies and it discussed this man automata and working with early film. In the book it said that a machine needed no extra pieces to work. It was unique and perfect with just the pieces that made it run. The terminator needs no extra pieces. He’s programed to do the same job over and over again just like the machine in the book. It seems to me that Satan ignites or turns the key and then watches us self-destruct. We find ourselves saying the same things over and over again. With this record playing at top notch speed the seeds of bitterness, resentment get caste on to others. We take up these wonderful people’s time telling them the same story over and over again. Caught in the machine mode or Ferris Wheel we go round and round. What can stop it. Like Sara said from the scripture, “Jesus said If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you. (Luke 17:6) Wow! This week one of my numbers on my clock well off and it stopped the whole watch. So if we pray for God to uproot this problem, it may be knocked out of place in our lives. It can be uprooted or stop the cycle of the terminator like my watch. Lord Jesus was ask you to be our Doctor Jesus and remove the stones from our hearts. A machine may need no extra parts to be unique and perfect, but Lord Jesus we need you to be unique and work in what you have called us to do. Lord come and uproot that which is causing a termination in us. Lord we think you that you are risen and that you are doing a mighty work in each of us who call upon you. May we arise each morning and weed our personal garden of the weeds that cause the Ferris Wheels or Terminators fuel to energize their day.
I read with great interest Sara’s teaching and Rena’s comment above. I love especially the point that Sara made; that Jesus GAVE us the ANSWER to this great dilemma that many of us have, which answer is found in Luke 17:6 and also in a similar narrative in the Gospel of Matthew where Jesus tells His disciples that if they had faith , the God kind of faith and WOULD NOT DOUBT they could not only cause the fig tree to wither and die but they could speak to the mountain and both physically and spiritually it could be cast into the sea. It only takes a grain of faith that we already have been given….the measure of faith apportioned to us by Holy Spirit in just the right amount. That means we already have that faith given to us when we received Christ. We have the right amount of faith, already. So what is my problem with this mountain or this tree that is in my way?? Am I NOT believing what the Word says that I must speak to it and continue to speak to it until it cannot stand any longer? That if I am determined that this hindering thing must leave, to be cast away, and persevere in my assault against it with the WORD of God that it won’t go? Obviously, it won’t remove if I am wavering, fence sitting, or double minded about whether I REALLY want it to go or not. James says a double-minded person will receive NOTHING in prayer.
So let me understand this, now. Sara says Jesus gives us the procedure which is to speak to the mountain in faith, and Holy Spirit has already given me the faith that Jesus said I needed….and I do have a mouth and a BIBLE. So if the mountain or the Sycamore tree is still standing in my way, whose fault is it??
Rena, isn’t it wonderful when we have faith the size of a mustard seed we can uproot a tree of bitterness and move it to the middle of the sea. I think that means deep sea it. Get it out of you mind as well as your spirit.
“as far as the east is from the west,
so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” God must love to tell us a picture story so we can understand just how far away terminator experiences can be removed from us when we allow them to go. If we think someone has mistreated us or wants to control us, etc. and we keep them in our minds and words, guess what, they do because we wan them to. We sure must loved to be controlled when we coddle another’s behavior in our minds and words.
MG, I say it is yours!
I say, you are right, Sara! And God gave us another tool to root out the bitterness and the mind control we are allowing another person or thing to have over us…..”casting down imaginations and EVERY HIGH THING that exalts itself against the knowledge and the counsel of GOD and bring into captivity every thought, mind picture, wordspeak into the obedience of CHRIST. And be ready to punish every insubordinate (thought, idea, idle word) and submit them to the authority of the Word of God.
Man!! this takes vigilance 24/7 because the enemy and our own selves….
paraphrasing Winston Churchill’s famous line….”WE HAVE MET THE ENEMY AND IT IS US” Terminator Special!!
May words of my mouth be acceptable in God’s sight…and my thoughts and my actions and my confessions.
To allow another to control us makes us enablers. The controller is sick and the one who is being controlled is contributing to that sickness and thus that is sick, also.
But Christ became “sickness” on the cross for us. He took rejection so I wouldn’t have to feel rejected anymore. Either I can start believing it or carry on in my delusion.
Resentment brings anger and anger can be directed outward openly to hurt others or be directed inward causing sickness. Cain got resentful towards his brother Abel because God respected Abel’s offering and not Cains. Cain’s countenance fell, he got angry and he killed his brother. (Gen 4:4-8). In the parable of the Prodigal son (Luke 15)the elder son resented the way his father treated his brother. He was angry and sulked in a corner. He felt he got slighted when really he had always had all the wonderful blessings and opportunities that his brother received. That angry emotion was not dealt with immediately and uprooted like Sara told us above was the way to deal with this Terminator. The elder son lost his joy and could not enjoy and be grateful for what he had. That root of bitterness spoiled his whole being. Luke never tells us if he if he was able to overcome it. He may have lived in gloom and depression the rest of his life because that seed grew into the tree and blocked the sunlight from filling his being.
Thank you so much Sara for this blog, for its warning and for the sure method and hope of grace to uproot any terminator trees that have grown in us.
I like your phrase ‘we can log the forest of our hearts’. A good forester knows that even though everybody wants to ‘save a tree’, the only way to produce and maintain a healthy forest is through a management plan that consistently cuts down undesirable species as well as those that need to go to the sawmill. This allows the sunlight in and leaves room for good growth.
yes Sara I like the way you put it..deep sea it…..dj
Judges 16:15-19 “Then Delilah pouted, “How can you tell me, “I love you”, when you don’t share your secrets with me? You’ve made fun of me three times now, and you still haven’t told me what makes you so strong!” She tormented him with her nagging day after day until he was sick to death of it. 17 Finally, Samson shared his secret with her. “My hair has never been cut”, he confessed, “for I was dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as anyone else.” 18 Delilah realized he had finally told her the truth, so she sent for the Philistine rulers. “Come back one more time, ” she said, “for he has finally told his secret.” So the Philistine rulers returned with the money in their hands. 19 Delilah lilled Samson to sleep with his head in her lap, and then she called in a man to shave off the seven locks of his hair. In this way she began to bring him down, and his strength left him.”
Delilah deceived Samson and took all his strength from him, making him weak. Delilah was Samson’s terminator. Through her deception, she caught him with his guard down, then she attacked, taking away all that he was. Delilah “THE TERMINATOR” felt no pain, had no emotion and stopped at nothing until she destroyed Samson. I’m sure, Samson may have been bitter from this. Proverbs 14:10 “Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can fully share its joy.” We must be careful about having a bitter heart. Many people deal with “terminators” daily. We must be cautious that these “terminators” don’t take away our strength and imprison us. Terminators can make us weak, blind us and put us in prison until we die. We must be strong. When we are face to face with this destroyer, we must get our strength from our Lord, Jesus Christ. Through him all things are possible. Sight can be restored! Strength will be restored! The chains will fall to the ground! We will be free! We need to follow the instruction of Ephesians 4:31″Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.” Set yourself free by facing your terminator with Jesus in your heart. Freedom that will last eternity.
Great Thoughts Chickenfarmer! You really brought the runners home! This sure will run the score up in the Kingdom of Light, if, when we face this pitcher and make contact with the ball. I would of never have thought of Samson but he sure got hit by the terminator. Just like most of us if we would stop and think about it.
We have been and maybe still are immobile in God’s Kingdom. I so enjoy Easter Sunday because for many years God’s Kingdom grew in numbers and then we had until next Easter to discipline them and prepare them to be workers for the next Easter. I sure hope the church does not lose it’s vision to the Terminator.
Another thing that comes to my mind, if we plan to take the Kingdom by force, is unity. We seemly have such a hard time with unity because of the above, bitterness, resentment, envy, etc. But, without unity, can we please Jesus!
“See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many..
I wonder if a bitter root is weed and thistle as Gary has quoted from Hebrews 6:7-8?
Thanks to all you guys for a great in-depth Bible Study. All of you challenge me to study and you give such in-thought ideas that makes studying such fun and great inspiration while building faith, hope and love.