Bitterness

The Sharpest Tongues We Know

Tim Dilena

I ministered in Detroit for 30 years. While preaching on the streets, I’ve been cursed at. I've been spit on. I've had bottles thrown at me. I've had bullets fly by. None of that ever bothered me, though. I wasn't offended. I didn't know the person; they didn’t know me.

My wife looks at me the wrong way, though, and Lord have mercy. That's worse than a bottle. That's worse than a gunshot.

Uprooting Bitterness with Forgiveness

Rachel Chimits

One young lady in Eswatini shares about her journey to restore relationships with her family who has survived the HIV epidemic.

More than one in every four people is carrying a persistent and deadly disease in Eswatini. “Despite its small population size,” Avert reported, “Eswatini has the highest HIV prevalence in the world and has been greatly affected by the epidemic.”

Dealing with Failed Expectations

David Wilkerson (1931-2011)

Some believers harbor resentment toward God, which can be very dangerous. Sadly, a growing number of ministers are becoming increasingly disillusioned, burned out, even angry with God, and are walking away from their calling. While this is hard to understand, many of them reason, “I was diligent, faithful — I gave it my best — but the harder I worked, the fewer results I saw. My congregation was not appreciative and all my prayers seemed in vain. Now I'm taking a step back so I can try to figure things out.”

Simmering Bitterness

David Wilkerson (1931-2011)

Americans seem to have a habit of using cooking terms to describe emotions. For example, an upset person is described as steamed and an angry person is referred to as being boiling mad.

Think of the angry, accusing words that Joseph’s brothers leveled at him. Satan prompted those words because he wanted Joseph to hold on to bitterness and spend years stewing in the juices of anger, revenge and hatred. Thank God, Joseph laid it all down — he didn’t allow it to simmer!