Have you ever had somebody hurt your feelings or make you just down right MAD?
Sometimes, stuff happens in life that can make your heart bitter as a lemon!
There is a saying that when life hands you lemons, make a pie. However, making a pie requires effort and determination.
A mile high lemon meringue pie doesn’t just miraculously appear because you acknowledge that it ‘can’ be done. Making a lemon pie takes effort, patience and work; but, it’s ALWAYS worth it.
Satan wants the trials of life to make us bitter. Anger is one of satan’s tools (Ephesians 4:26-27). Proverbs 29:11 says that fools look for revenge. Romans 12:19 specifically says to NOT get revenge, let God handle it. Psalms 4:4 says anger can lead to sin, it’s best to be silent.
When we are angry at people, that anger separates us from intimacy with Jesus. (Matthew 5:21-23) Satan wants to use sour circumstances to drive a wedge between us and our Savior. We DO have the choice of what we do with the sour things in life!
We can allow bitterness to make our hearts mean, callous and vengeful. Or we can do the things necessary to change the bitterness into tenderness and sweetness.
Action is required; bitterness can destroy if left unattended to. We must emotionally, mentally and physically do the things that turn the bitter into better. Don’t get even—-get busy and make something good out of those lemons.
Prayer is the first step toward transforming bitter fruit into the fruit of the Spirit. Ask God to help you forgive the person you are angry with.
When you forgive rather than get revenge, you are taking action to turn the bitter fruit of anger into the sweetness of the fruit of the Spirit.
Galatians 5: 22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.