(Expanded paraphrase of some of my favorite and most needed verses)
“Be super-careful not to let even one poisonous root of bitterness to take root in your heart, for many will taste the poison and be harmed if you do” (Heb.12:15).
“Starve, pull up, push out, “grenade” all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of meanness and malice. Instead, respond and relate to others with the kindness, compassion, and forgiveness God gives us in Jesus. It’s not easy but it’s the way of the Gospel” (Eph. 4:31-32).
“Resentment energizes, titillates, and motivates … then slowly kills a fool” (Job. 5:2).
Dear Jesus, if we ever doubted the comments German Reformer, Martin Luther, made about how we Christians need the Gospel every day, these Scriptures remove all doubt. Have mercy on us, O Lord. Thankfully, you do so every single morning, noon, and evening. I have friends reeling and reaching for understanding and hope, Lord. This prayer is for them, but also for me.
May your beauty be more compelling to us than the ugly of sin around us and in us. May the Gospel be more defining than our old and open wounds, our current experience of unfairness and feared outcomes of working for justice.
By your Word and Spirit—and the gift of good friends, keep our hearts from becoming gardens of resentment, bitterness-bushes—flower beds that smell more like broken trust than living hope. Just the opposite, Jesus—make our hearts gardens of grace and mercy meccas—little oases of healing water, the rest you offer, and the peace only you can give. Jesus, till, fertilize, replenish, and replant our hearts with your love, compassion, and kindness. So Very Amen.