1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
(1 Corinthians 13:1-3)
The verses above have been in my mind for the past week as i spent time with my family overseas. I need to spend some time reflecting upon them, because i believe that God surfaced these verses to me as a sign that i have not shown love enough to my family. Instead i have found myself usually behaving selfishly and self-centeredly with them. I hate it when i behave so non-Christlike-ly. My flesh is so in battle with the Spirit within me. i have not fought hard enough to let the Spirit win.
It was no coincidence that once i returned home i read an email article a friend sent me entitled 'Don't let bitterness take root in you'. God was helping me to realise the root cause. I became more aware that i still had residual bitterness towards my parents, stemming from the way i always felt i have not received enough attention and love from them through the years. But i also knew the greater truth - i have myself many times rejected their love outside the door; i refused to open the door of my heart to them.
When God reveals something to us, He wants us to act upon it (if it is a prompting), or overcome it (if it is a stumbling block). His love and affirmation for me has been softening my heart towards my family more and more through the years. i have been releasing the bitterness more and more, and overcome myself to love them more.
But there are still times when i choose to hide the love, or even show no love. Love not shown is love not received. Today i tell Jesus "I give you more and ALL of the bitterness in my heart. Don't let it take root in me. I want to love my family like you do; i want to love them to Christ!"
Please pray along for and with me dears. If you also hold even the slightest bitterness towards someone who have hurt or betrayed you, deliberately or unintentionally, i encourage you to acknowledge it, and to release it to Christ. Don't let it linger in you, thinking that once you get used to it, it is fine. IT IS NOT OK. A slight poison at the water source contaminates the WHOLE river. Bitterness is that poison. It contaminates us in our thinking, feelings, emotions, actions and every part of us to behave and react in ways that we usually do not want to, which are contrary to Christ's ways.
It was no coincidence that once i returned home i read an email article a friend sent me entitled 'Don't let bitterness take root in you'. God was helping me to realise the root cause. I became more aware that i still had residual bitterness towards my parents, stemming from the way i always felt i have not received enough attention and love from them through the years. But i also knew the greater truth - i have myself many times rejected their love outside the door; i refused to open the door of my heart to them.
When God reveals something to us, He wants us to act upon it (if it is a prompting), or overcome it (if it is a stumbling block). His love and affirmation for me has been softening my heart towards my family more and more through the years. i have been releasing the bitterness more and more, and overcome myself to love them more.
But there are still times when i choose to hide the love, or even show no love. Love not shown is love not received. Today i tell Jesus "I give you more and ALL of the bitterness in my heart. Don't let it take root in me. I want to love my family like you do; i want to love them to Christ!"
Please pray along for and with me dears. If you also hold even the slightest bitterness towards someone who have hurt or betrayed you, deliberately or unintentionally, i encourage you to acknowledge it, and to release it to Christ. Don't let it linger in you, thinking that once you get used to it, it is fine. IT IS NOT OK. A slight poison at the water source contaminates the WHOLE river. Bitterness is that poison. It contaminates us in our thinking, feelings, emotions, actions and every part of us to behave and react in ways that we usually do not want to, which are contrary to Christ's ways.
No comments:
Post a Comment