Whenever an animal is slaughtered for purposes of consumption, a lot of care is taken in the removal of the bile duct during separation of the intestines. The bile juice is so bitter that if it accidentally spills on the meat, is is declared unfit for consumption. This inspired the phrase “they have bile between them” to refer to a situation where there is a problem between two people.
The older I grow, the more I realize that life throws situations at us that intend to break us, shake us and bring us to the point of pure, heavy and murky bitterness. Many of us go through moments of extreme and severe offence perpetrated and propagated by people around us. Sometimes these attacks are accidental or very intentional with the sole purpose of destroying and distracting.
Brief recap of the most dramatic events in the Bible : The children of Israel had had bitter years of hard labor, harsh treatment, slavery and hardship and the Lord took notice and sent Moses to rescue them. Moses was armed with God, the shepherd staff and his brother- what an armada. Then came the plagues and by the time they are passed over by the last plague of the death of the firstborns, they are ready to leave this place of pain. They are finally released and they trek to the Red Sea only to see the cloud of dust accompanying Pharaoh and his army. By this time they are filled with terror, they probably thought to themselves “This time we are doomed.” Moses urges them to focus on the Lord, and not to fear. The Lord Almighty shows His might by causing darkness on the Marauding Egyptian army so that they could not reach Israel who were camped by the banks of the Red Sea, and then he split the sea and Israel walks as on dry ground. When Egypt tries to run in after them the sea swallows them up and their destruction done.
I would imagine after such a rescue Israel would never doubt God because they had seen him through the plagues and the sea swallowing the armies of Egypt. However, we see an ever complaining community that does not stop to complain- ” we have no water”, “did you bring us here that we may fall in the desert”, “the water is bitter”, “if only we were in Egypt where we had leeks and onions”, “we have no meat” amidst a host of other complains.
Israel did not see God’s deliverance and His desire for them to know Him while they were in the desert. Instead they imputed ill motives on God trapped by the false thought that he was out to finish them. Even as God kept them through the desert, they did not look up to him they grumbled and complained on their journey through. This very sad because for forty years they had the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. (Exodus 13:21) The presence of God was with them every single hour of every single day, but they would not see it. Their shoes and clothes did not wear out and fall apart in fact their clothes seemed to grow with the kids and the shoes too. (Deuteronomy 29:5) But they would not see Yahweh the Lord of hosts, because of their choice to complain, He was ever present yet ignored.
Scientists have proven that complaining has serious effect on the brain. It causes forgetfulness, which means once you begin to complain you will never see good in anything because you are busy seeing everything wrong with the circumstances around you. Sometimes its easy to imagine the comfort of the bad situations you have been brought out of because you just want to have a complaint. While the Israelites were wishing the could go back, their minds seem to forget the hardship that they underwent as slaves and that even those onions and leeks they probably never ate.
Hurt is a complex emotion in nature since in the state of hurt the body response is to get rid of this pain. However, this may translate to people hurting other people, thinking that this will ease their pain. Scientists have discovered that the body does not know how to differentiate between physical pain and emotional pain and it treats both the same. The state of bitterness causes physiological and physical changes- if not unabated the mind will drift into the revenge mode which one will no longer have human instincts but animal instincts- an eye for an eye they say. Movie scenes portray the thrill of revenge, in the moment but what they do not depict is the ultimate lack of satisfaction. The only thing it does is leave a person justifying themselves and damage they have caused digs further into their conscience. While some physical changes can present as sickness, sometimes feeling sick however nothing presenting of the chart on medical examinations.
So what do I do with hurt? is the question we all ask.
There must be a conscious effort made to find healing from God through repentance (2 Chronicles 7:14) ” If my people who are called by my name would humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways, then I would hear from heaven, forgive their sins and heal their land”. God wants us to come humbly with our issues and lay them at his feet, and seek his face and pray that he may intervene in the situation so that we will not require to stretch our hands in vengeance. We need to actively forgive so that when should we, at any point seek to dip our hands back into the bowl of anger and vengeance, we will continuously remind our hearts that we have forgiven and we no longer hold the sin or transgression as a weapon/
Forgiveness doesn’t guarantee we will forget the offense. It is an invitation to release anger and not focus on the offense.
We must be ready to repeat the process, because the flesh wants to hold on to the past and yet we can forgive others just like we ourselves have been forgiven by the Heavenly Father who no longer holds our sins against us. (Hebrews 8:12)
"Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends."
Proverbs 17:9
You are light and you are so love. Stay Anchored and Keep His light shining through
Wow!!! This is beautiful and sobering 🥺♥️🙌
Forgiveness doesn’t guarantee we will forget the offense. It is an invitation to release anger and not focus on the offense.
May God help us to always seek above. May I always forgive not focusing on the offense ♥️♥️
Very true Pam. To forgive and not focus on the offence is to disarm the power of the vice- offence. That we may walk in the victory God has given us.
Thank you for this Hellen.
Most of the time holding on to hurt and anger seems like the answer because its easier than forgiveness.
This is a good reminder that we can lay our hurt and anger at the feet of Jesus and he will help us forgive.
Indeed the freedom that Christ gives, so that we are not busy keeping a record of offence done or seeing the speck in our neighbor’s eyes but that we can walk with Christ unhinged and not heavy laden. Bless you
Nice article Hellen . It’s good to remember holding grudges will not solve anything but rather we should forgive and find healing from God through repentance.
Thank you for reminding us this.
Nicely said!!! Good job
❤❤
Forgiveness is like medicine to the soul….
Thankyou Helen
Let’s maintain the healing of our souls by forgiving.
❤❤
Forgiveness is a process we must be ready to repeat. It’s not a one time thing!
Wow! I love this post so much!
Thank you Hellen♥️
….over and over again, we make the choice! God is helping us. 🙂