7/02/2016

Fighting RESENTMENT ... A SPIRITUAL Battle


JESUS CARRYING CROSS
The Disciple's CROSS  for you and for me. 

RESENTMENT

is an ugly  word and it leads into very ugly sins.

 

Bitterness, anger, harsh words, and all the sins  accompanying this un-loving attitude reveal the UGLINESS of resentment.

 

We all have it. RESENTMENT descends upon every person, upon us all from time to time. 

 

Oftentimes, someone we have counted on for help abandons the plan, the help promised... in short, us... and leaves us with an EXTRA load of responsibility and duties.

 

Sometimes agencies or institutions with-hold something promised or something we THOUGHT was promised, even something we purchased for security.

 

RESENTMENT develops when we are disappointed and the agency renigged on its word.

 

  • When family members do not respond in support,

  • when our co-workers neglect their part of the assignment,

  • when the church committee does not show up for the scheduled event  or  work project,


... then we are disappointed and RESENTMENT settles into our hearts.

 

Furthermore,

we think our RESENTMENT  is JUSTIFIED.

 

WE did not do anything wrong; we were wronged against -- AGAIN ! And our old companion of Self-Pity rears his ugly head, beckoning  Bitterness and Anger to come along.  The satan has us  set  in line, now, for a BIG  fall. 


SIN lurks at the door-latch,

waiting to trip us.   

 

Whether from un-supportive persons or from an un-responsive institution ,  RESENTMENT is a natural human reaction when we are hurt and sorely disappointed when NO HELP arrives.     

 

Regardless of the reason for it , we all know the cure for RESENTMENT is repentance.

 

However... how do we move that great lump in our hearts from RESENTMENT to VICTORY over it, after we repent ?

 

Yes, REPENTANCE is the very first step.  We see that resentment on our part  is wrong. It does NOT  reflect the love of CHRIST JESUS. It is NOT turning the other cheek, going the 2nd mile.

 

HOWEVER...  we are exhorted to live in TRUTH.  So, we must face this resentment head on and prepare for Battle, SPIRITUAL BATTLE in the Name of our LORD JESUS CHRIST. 

 

We must CONFESS that we RESENT it when hurt and disappointed by our family, our co-workers on the job, our fellow-helpers in the church.  

 

Hastening to REPENT and acknowledging our desire to sin, we must call upon the LORD to cleanse our hearts from this RESENTMENT.

 

Bless GOD, the victory SOMETIMES comes after this repentance. 

 

Sometimes, however, we are still sad.  We may not be angry any longer, but we are still not happy.  We remain sober and down-cast in our soul.  We are still heavy-laden and the work is harder  to  embrace. 

 

HOWEVER... the work still needs to be done though, the event still needs to be carried through, the bills still need to be paid, and the big dinner still needs to be cooked, regardless of the missing,  promised help.

 

So we are down-cast, looking at that extra load of responsibility draining our energy, our time, our resources.

 

NO, DO NOT BE CONTENT to STAY in that down-cast state after repentance.  

 

Here is a way to move into JOY after REPENTANCE.

 

When others do not do their part and their part is placed on us... tell it to JESUS alone. Talk to HIM+ about it.

 NO OTHER FRIEND

 

HE+ will  inevitably  ask us one question: 

 

" Can you do this task 

FOR ME+  ? " 

 

Immediately,  HE+  will bring  to  mind   ALL that HE+ has done for us.

 

Our response then will be a hearty

 

"YES, LORD.  Of course,

I can do this FOR YOU+."

 

youarethepotter

 

That is going the second mile, going that extra mile carrying that extra load ...  simply for the sake of JESUS

 

 

THAT IS WHEN  the JOY re-enters our heart. 

 

It is really HIS+ JOY, as HE+ promised.   HE+ will joy in us as we JOIN HIM+ in  His+  mis-treatment, in His+ Suffering,  and OUR joy will become full !  IMMEDIATELY ! 

crucified-with-christ.jpg

 


Obediently repenting is our necessary DUTY... but JOY comes when we join CHRIST JESUS "on the cross"  in sacrifice. 

 

"Can I do it for HIM+ ? "  

YES,  I  CAN .

 

 

If we walk with HIM+  through this exercise of Godliness, we will experience an amazing thing: 

 

HE+ now enters into the activity

with His+ Divine help

 

HE+ sends His+ strength into us. HE+ supplies our need. The  task moves  more  swiftly. HE+ makes all the plans fall neatly into place for us  and the event or situation turns out BETTER THAN BEFORE ! 

 

EVEN  BETTER ... The Divine COMPANIONSHIP WITH CHRIST JESUS  is there for us, full of life and light and love. 

 

HE+ loves obedience WHEN IT IS HARD to obey. 

 

HE+ loves a cheerful giver when we are not happy about the situation. 

 

We love HIM+ because HE+ first loved us.   And we KEEP ON loving HIM+ ... because HE+ keeps on loving us !   


John 15: 9-13

As The FATHER  hath loved ME+,

so have I+ loved you: continue ye in My+ love.


If ye keep My+ commandments,

ye shall abide in My+ love;

even as I+ have kept My+ FATHER'S commandments,

and abide in His+ love.


These things have I+ spoken unto you,

that

My+ joy might remain in you,

and that

your joy might be full.


This is My+ commandment,

That ye love one another

as I+ have loved you.


Greater love hath no man than this:

that a man lay down his life for his friends.



LET   US   PRAY :

O LORD JESUS, forgive my grumbling and complaining when others forsake the task at hand, abandoning both the work and me and I am left to do it all myself. 

I know my resentment is NOT RIGHT.  I repent.  I forgive them for  ignoring me when I need help, forsaking their promise to me.

Cleanse me of anger and resentment and bitterness.  Create in me a CLEAN HEART and renew a right SPIRIT within me, O CHRIST. 

And NOW,  O LORD, I bend the knee of my heart.  My only help is from YOU+, O Defender of my life.  Send me help from Your+ Sanctuary to do this job as YOU+ see fit.  


Thank YOU+  for handling my distress of spirit and heart, when I was over-whelmed.  I could not handle it myself. Help me to ALWAYS turn to YOU+ in times of distress. 

O Ruler of the Universe, great deeds are they which YOU+ have done, surpassing human understanding.  YOUR+ Ways are Ways of  RIGHTEOUSNESS and TRUTH, O KING+  of all the Ages.  

Who can fail to do you homage, LORD, and sing the praises of YOUR+ Name, O CHRIST.  Glory to The FATHER, The SON+ our LORD JESUS CHRIST, and to the Blessed HOLY SPIRIT... ONE GOD, now and forever. Amen. 

Glory Be to GOD:   The FATHER,  The SON+ our LORD JESUS CHRIST,  and the Blessed HOLY SPIRIT.  ONE GOD, now and forever. Amen. 

  

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