Justifiably bitter

        I absolutely love that I belong to a church that challenges me and prepares me for greater things. This weekend, my pastors spoke about bitterness. I've blogged about this very topic myself, and it is probably one of my strongest struggles in life. I may not appear to be a bitter person, I sure hope not anyway! However, I have very strong feelings about injustice and mistreatment of others eats me up inside. I will not go into all that, but it is where my bitterness stems. I feel that my kind heart, and love for the underdog is a vital part of who God wants me to be.
         You see what I did there? I justified my bitterness. I am bitter because others were cruel, unkind, and made me this way. (Sarcasm!) I am bitter because my enemy (not a person) wants to stop me from having the relationship with God that I desire. (Truth!) Everyone on this Earth has a "reason" to be bitter. And many have very justifiable reasons. I'm pretty sure that Jesus should be the most bitter of all, right? I mean, people were trying to kill Him before He had a chance to live. No one could even be bothered to make room for his laboring mother for His birth! He was brought into this world surrounded my animals, hay, and probably lots of manure. He lived a life full of integrity and void of sin. He watched as people mocked Him, ridiculed Him, and beat Him. Yet, on the cross as He died for the sins of those same people and people for the rest of existence of the world, He pleaded with God on their behalf (on our behalf). "And Jesus said, forgive them; for they know not what they do..." Luke 23:34. There is no way that I have been wronged more than Christ, and no way that you have either. He loved those who were unlovable, and He STILL does.
         Yes, my bitterness is justified, and yours probably is too...BUT I believe that it is God's desire that instead of justifying all the bitter, that we feed our souls with the truth of His love and forgiveness, and free our hearts of all that heavy bitterness to make room for the love that actually has a place in our hearts. That is my goal as I go into this Christmas and the years to come.