Today I have a guest blogger from our recent Intentional Blogger Challenge with Jeff Goins. As believers we connected and share our faith in Christ. Rhonda Smith writes short encouraging devotionals, and today we look at bitterness and how to let go of anger.
Rhonda is a blogger from Virginia in the US. She writes about God’s faithfulness. She hopes to help people see how desirable Christ is and encourage them to rest in Him. You can check out more at her blog: barleyharvest.com.
Welcome Rhonda!
“There is no room for bitterness in the life of a recipient of God’s grace. You can’t hold grace in one hand and bitterness in the other. From the cross flowed forgiveness and love and relief.”
-Clint Pressley
I once heard that quote in a sermon and it has stuck with me for many years. Anger is so destructive and can over time make us bitter. A Christian cannot let anger consume them. If we allow anger to carry over to the next day and the next day then bitterness can destroy us from the inside out. The Bible never instructed us not to be angry; it does, however, teach us that we should not sin in our anger.
In your anger do not sin, do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.
-Ephesians 4:26
Notice the passage says “in your anger” so to assume we will get angry. There is no secret formula all Christians are given upon becoming a believer that allows us not to feel anger. We continue to feel anger and hurt just as before. I think the key is dealing with our anger quickly. We must not give Satan the chance to hurt relationships and cause division because of our anger.
We can still hold convictions and desire justice but we cannot allow anger to cause us to sin. That is not helpful for what God is trying to accomplish in and through us. We must look closely at our anger and ask God to help remove any bitterness that we have allowed anger to produce.
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
Letting go of anger isn’t always easy but it is what we have been instructed to do. We should forgive when needed. Be slow to anger. Be quick to love. We cannot hold onto both bitterness and grace. As a recipient of God’s grace, let’s choose grace. Let’s choose to cling tightly to grace. That will change everything.
Thank you Rhonda for sharing today. You are a blessing!