Dear Friend,
Have you been enslaved to bitterness? Are you still? Bitterness over past hurt, pain, wrongs. Likely at the actions/words of another, but perhaps it is over your own part in sin — the defense mechanism built up out of extended shame.
Friend, I’ve been there myself. For too long! And it’s robbed so many moments, days, even years of joyous moments from my memory. Rather, there are memories tainted with the haze of bitterness.
And yet, this is NOT what God has called us to as believers! No, we are a chosen people, royal priesthood, holy nation, God’s own special possession, meant to live out the Gospel in every aspect of our lives.1 Studying that verse from 1 Peter this week, I was struck with the question: What does each part of my life (everyday) proclaim about God?
When my drink order is lost in the queue of a busy coffee shop, do I get upset, cut in front of other waiting customers, and speak harshly to the barista? Do I proclaim that God is impatient, unforgiving, ungracious? Or do I calmly wait, step up where there’s space, and respond with a smile to whatever response the barista gives? Do I proclaim that He is patient, forgiving, and gracious?
In this, do you see the simplicity of the Gospel in the fabric of our everyday lives? Seemingly minuscule ways to demonstrate His character to the world!
And yet, how much more are we called to demonstrate our Father’s character to our family? (I don’t mean blood — though perhaps that simultaneously applies — but our spiritual family, the Church.)
As believers, we have no excuse to allow bitterness in our hearts and lives over past (and current) pain, especially toward our fellow Christian.2 For, what of our grievances is greater than how we grieve God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit (as we do far more often than we would care to admit)? And yet, how does our Father see us? What has Jesus done for us? Has the Holy Spirit abandoned His place within us? 3
My dear friend, do you hear the passionate cry in my words? Do not misunderstand — it comes from my own experience of sin and reconciliation. Years of being chained by my own bitterness, and a newfound desire — a renewed, growing root of desiring holiness, to put away all roots of bitterness — that the LORD Himself restored within me. And I see the effects bitterness has had within my own relationships and attitude toward others, my past, and even expressed within my thoughts.
It is not pretty. BUT GOD! Praise Him, He renews and restores those thoughts day-by-day and those relationships with every interaction. He even calls me out on the smallest moment of pettiness, asking the simple question: Are you sure that’s the road you want to go down, again?
Praise Him, His Holy Spirit continues to guide me in His paths of righteousness, step-by-step. Though I still stumble at points, He lifts me up to continue on. And this is what I want for you, dear friend! To know the freedom that comes not just from His great forgiveness, mercy, grace, love, patience — everything He is! — but from making your life an overflow of His character!
We are called to holiness. The Father has called us, His Son has made us able, and His Spirit empowers us to do so. To hold on to our bitterness — that just implies we believe our hurt at the hand of another is worse than our rebellion toward Christ. Now, I do not say this to diminish the pain you’ve been through — rather, to elevate the mercy and forgiveness of our God! For, if He is able to forgive us, we — through His own Spirit — are able to forgive others.
We are called to be living sacrifices as our true act of worship.4 That, though dying is gain, we are to live for Christ.5 Honestly, I think at least half of our suffering as believers is truly the growing pains of dying to ourselves daily.6 Or maybe that’s just me.
Learning to truly live,
Hannah
Life Without Mother 
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