Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Resentment Is Destructive

Surely resentment destroys the fool, and jealousy kills the simple (Job 5:2 NLT)

Lancelot is Driven Mad by Guinevere's Anger by Newell Convers Wyeth
Lancelot is Driven Mad by Guinevere's Anger

Resentment is one of the most common sins that plague mankind. Bitterness of spirit lingers on even when the cause is forgotten, and as it becomes embedded in the character it slowly poisons the body. To harbor resentment is literally to worry yourself to death.

Whatever may be the cause of your resentment;
whatever justification you may present for keeping it alive,
you must judge whether it is worthwhile to allow it a place in your mind.

It is a simple fact that if you harbor a resentful spirit you lose the awareness of the Living Christ. You cannot be resentful and be a channel through which the Christ works at one and the same time.

  • Bearing resentment your attitude towards life becomes warped and you become bitter and filled with self-pity.
  • Resentment must be dealt with before its destructive work takes root in your life, otherwise everything that is beautiful and holy will be destroyed.

The antidote for resentment is forgiveness.
If you believe, as a Christian disciple,
that God has forgiven your sins,
you must forgive those who have sinned against you.

This is basic Christianity that has a very practical application.

Paris Begs His Estranged Wife Oenone for Forgiveness for Having Run Away with Helen of Troy by Henry Justice Ford
Paris Begs His Estranged Wife Oenone for Forgiveness




Only when you forgive can you be freed
and enter a life released from the havoc resentment would create.

Free me, O Lord, from the blight of resentment
so that I may love and serve you more effectively.

Mimi

4 comments:

Dawn said...

Both this and the last one are so powerful - I have been thinking about the beauty that comes from the dirt the last few days. Well put!

Tracy said...

I really like this post because I think so many hold on to resentment from years past. It hardens the heart and deadens the soul.

Thank you so much for another powerful post.

Melissa said...

Resentment is extremely destructive...I've had to learn the hard way - and sometimes (I am ashamed to admit this) I have to relearn it.

Anonymous said...

I have to admit that I had harbored some resentment for a long time,it had to do with mu ex-wife and my best man at our wedding,they had an affair. It took me a long time to get over it,long after it happened and we were already divorced,Something she asked for,and I did not want.I wanted to make thing work. I felt shame that I was going to be a divorced man.
I hope that you had a great day today.That's my story and I'm sticking to it.