How to Strive to Have a Godly Marriage - Bitterness

James 3:11 - Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
I Thessalonians 5:18 - In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
We really are truly blessed, and we should be giving God thanks in everything, good and bad; we should be constantly grateful to our Lord. God is still on the throne, in the good times and the bad times. Are you thankful or are you bitter? .
Acts 8:23 - For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity..
Colossians 3:19 - Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them..
James 3:11 - Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?.
Can you be bitter and sweet at the same time? No; bitterness will consume you and your life if you don’t get it corrected immediately. .
James 3:12-14 - Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom..
Don’t lie to yourself, if there is any bitterness in you anywhere, you are bitter. If you are bitter with anyone, you are consumed with bitterness..
Ephesians 4:31 - Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:.
Is there right now any bitterness in your heart? Is there someone you can’t talk to? Are you bitter with God? Until you get right with the person you are bitter with you will be consumed with bitterness and hate..
Hebrews 12:15 - Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;.
The moment you get bitter, it will consume you, it is poison, like poison from a snake bite, it fills your heart and body, it consumes you completely. .
However, God offers you an antidote. His grace. .
If you don’t accept God’s grace when He gives it to you the bitterness will get into your heart and root in you. Like an oak tree’s root, the root of bitterness is deep inside your heart..
You can’t reason with someone who is bitter; but God can help you with your bitterness, but you have to go to Him for help; just give it to Him, let God have it, you have to set it free and place it at the foot of the cross, and leave it there. Don’t get embarrassed or let pride in if you have or have had bitterness, even the ‘best’ Christian can become bitter..
Hebrews 12:15 – Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;.
Psalm 15:1 - (A Psalm of David.) LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?.
Psalm 15:2-3 - He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour..
Bitterness is a disease. If your spiritual immune system is poor, and your around someone who is bitter, you are at risk of catching it. Their bitter, poison filled words will cause bitterness to grow in you, as it slowly grows, it will kill you..
Exodus 20:5-6 - Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. – Here God is talking about iniquity and sin passed down from generation to generation, however, you can be delivered from bitterness, all you have to do is call upon the Lord, and turn away from bitterness. .
Exodus 20:6 - And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. God’s grace is sufficient. If you stop the bitterness and receive God’s grace, it is God’s grace that will be passed down to your generations, not the bitterness. For whatever is in your heart is passed down to your children, so go ahead and make the choice to receive the fruits of righteousness to pass down rather than the fruits of darkness. When you say you’d do anything for your children, are you willing to get rid of your iniquity and sin?.
James 3:4 - Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. Never glory in bitterness, you don’t have a right to be angry, that is a flat out lie from satan. .
So, what happens when you get bitter?.
1. It destroys relationships..
Acts 8:18-24 - And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me..
2. There is a lack of sweetness in your life..
3. You produce bitter fruit, and ruins the good fruit you had..
Ephesians 4:26-27 - Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil..
Galatians 5:19-21 - Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. We should be exhibiting the fruits of the Spirit; when you let God deliver you from bitterness, be sure to fill that empty place with fruits of the Spirit..
Galatians 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law..
If something does anger you, don’t let the sun go down upon your wrath, in other words, get it worked out and repent before you go to bed. If you sleep on it you are likely to forget about it and it will root in your heart and before you know it, bitterness will take over; do not give place to the devil..
Matthew 22:30 - For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven..
Matthew 24:36 - But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only..
Bitterness, wrath, malice, anger are all evil and from the devil. Remember, the devils begged Jesus to let them live, they would rather to live in a herd of swine then to be cast into the lake of fire, so they would rather live in you then not – don’t give place to the devil, don’t even give him a shot at getting a foothold. Anger is a stronghold, and you can’t get it out yourself, only God can deliver you from it..
Romans 2:1 - Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things..
Spiritual failure can come with bitterness. When your bitter you are focusing on the wrong things. When you get bitter, families are destroyed and lives are ruined. .
Colossians 3:1-2 - If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. When you don’t accept God’s free gift of grace you are rejecting God. If you want deliverance from bitterness, if you want your joy back, you have to deal with the bitterness and give it over to God..
Matthew 27:33-34 - And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. – that gall is our bitterness, Christ tasted our bitterness for us and yet He still offers His grace and forgiveness. God doesn’t want you to have bitterness in your heart.
Jenn