Fighting Bitterness?

[Galadriel]

Hey there,
Let me start by saying I work in the retail world, and that means serving all sorts of people, helping them with whatever they need/questions, dealing with rudeness day in day out. To be honest I've been fighting on and off trying to not get bitter feeling sometimes about the treatment mainly from customers. I try hard to think "well God wants Christians to be servants, thats just my job to do" and "its not that bad, it could be lots worse", and I know that it could be much worse (heck its not like I'm forced into prostitution or anything horrible like that) but I guess after years of working in this industry I am finding it harder to not get this way (bitter feeling about how people can treat each other). I am looking to get out of the retail industry, mainly for pay reasons, but also just to get away from it too some. It just kind of wears at one's spirit after awhile I suppose. Any suggestions or advice? I mean I think of Jesus constantly serving others, and he never got bitter, but then again when the pharasees tried to give him lip he usually talked back to them to try and set them straight.

 

[Breaking Babylon]

I wish that I had advice for you, Galadriel, truly, because I work in the same field and I know that it is very embittering and frustrating. I try to tell myself that to bear in the glory of the Cross is also to bear in the sufferings of the Cross, and without bearing patiently with accusations and learning humility, I can't expect to be fruitful. I try to look at this as an opportunity for spiritual growth, rather than letting it make me become a bitter person, I'm trying to look at is as a means of teaching me service, patience, humility, and other such Christian virtues.

It is not always easy. We are bound to fall as that is in our nature, but try to thank God for the opportunity to be fruitful for His Kingdom, and though we will fail and fail again, we will try to remember "a softly spoken word turns away wrath", and we will do our best to remain calm and patient for His sake, accepting our jobs as a way to be pruned that we may be fruitful.

Without the opportunity of sin, there is no way we can triumph in the Anointed One. Without being faced with these circumstances, how could we weigh our spiritual life? I fail, I realize that I am at fault, and I try to push forward... God will not give us more than we can handle, and the more difficult the trial, the more rewarding the outcome.

May God bless you with all that profits your soul,

Blake

 

[rogsr]

Hello,

I feel your pain! I have been working a customer service related job for the past 5 years while I work my way through school and I cannot wait to move on. There are about a million customer service jobs out there and I'm sure they all suck! I think the worst would be customer service over the phone, I'll bet people get really nasty using that medium. My theory is that a nasty person has the uncanny ability to sense when they have the upper hand in relationships in terms of power, I think these special people also have the keen sense of knowing just how much abuse they will be able to dell out without over stepping themselves. They know you have to help them and that part of your job is "dealing" with all types of customers so they feel no fear in abusing you a little bit.

When I'm at work I stay focused and ready every time I encounter someone new so that I don't get caught off guard by their nastiness. I find that getting caught off guard with the nastiness is like a surprise slap in the face, which we want to react to but we can't so we get angry, then later we get depressed. So stay focused and don't get caught off guard!

The second thing that I do is that I keep in mind after I encounter a nasty person that God desires communion with all of His children. He uses the carrot sometimes and the stick other times. "your rod and your staff comfort me." One is for clubbing hungry lions and one is for giving the hook to wayward sheep.

 

[drich0150]

There is a Huge difference between being a servant, and being a door mat. Thru Jesus example we see that when there was a injustice or someone being wronged he stood up and stood firm. At the same time he was approachable and humble enough to complete the fathers will.. In your industry there is room enough to be both people as well. Just know when to stand up and when to sit back down.

 

[ExaltTheLord]

I wish that I had advice for you, Galadriel, truly, because I work in the same field and I know that it is very embittering and frustrating. I try to tell myself that to bear in the glory of the Cross is also to bear in the sufferings of the Cross, and without bearing patiently with accusations and learning humility, I can't expect to be fruitful. I try to look at this as an opportunity for spiritual growth, rather than letting it make me become a bitter person, I'm trying to look at is as a means of teaching me service, patience, humility, and other such Christian virtues.

It is not always easy. We are bound to fall as that is in our nature, but try to thank God for the opportunity to be fruitful for His Kingdom, and though we will fail and fail again, we will try to remember "a softly spoken word turns away wrath", and we will do our best to remain calm and patient for His sake, accepting our jobs as a way to be pruned that we may be fruitful.

Without the opportunity of sin, there is no way we can triumph in the Anointed One. Without being faced with these circumstances, how could we weigh our spiritual life? I fail, I realize that I am at fault, and I try to push forward... God will not give us more than we can handle, and the more difficult the trial, the more rewarding the outcome.

May God bless you with all that profits your soul,

Blake

Well said!

Next time you run into someone you just can't stand, think of jesus and say something kind to him/her. Your soul will glow .

Goodluck Friend.

 

[Galadriel]

Thank you very much for all the advice. It is tough, I think what is hard sometimes is that I feel powerless, I must be nice and courteous even when being treated rudely or sometimes downright abusive, and its like I have no recourse. The only outlet really is to vent to co workers about it. It is hard and does start to eat away at you after awhile.

Sacrium Silentium you do bring up a good point, to try and look at it as an opportunity to grow spiritually. I feel like how can I grow when I constantly am fighting feelings like that?

 

[Elijah2]

Mate, I will get back to you on bitterness and anger.

But read throught this prayer and pray it verbally aloud to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Heavenly Father, I come to You through our Lord Jesus Christ, where my life (or my employment) seems so unjust, so unfair, through rejection; offence; deep hurts; embarrassments; abuse; trauma; wounds in the spirit; and anger, which are almost more that I can bear.

Lord Jesus Christ, please help me to let go of all my bitterness and indignation and wrath through my passion, rage, and bad temper; and my resentment through my anger and animosity, In Jesus’ Name.

Lord Jesus Christ, You bind and heal the broken-hearted, and I received Your anointing that destroys all yoke of bondage. I ask you Lord, for my emotional healing that is destroying my faith in myself, and only by Your grace, Lord, I am able to keep going and stand firm against Satan and his forces until this process is complete, in Jesus’ Name.

Lord Jesus Christ I choose to forgive all those who have wronged me causing me to be bitter toward them. My purpose of life is to live a life of love and forgiveness that I haven’t shown to those people around me and those who have wronged me. You have forgiven me, Lord Jesus Christ, and I now forgiven them, in Jesus’ Name.

I asked you Lord to rid me of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander along with every form of malice that has impregnated my soul, and has settled upon my heart. I desire Lord, to be good, kind and compassionate to others, forgiving them, just as You, did Lord, when you forgave me, in Jesus’ Name.

With Your help, Lord, I make every effort to live in peace with all people and to be holy, for I know that without holiness no one will see You, Lord. I purpose to see to it that I do not miss Your Grace and that no bitter root grows up within me to cause trouble and to defile me, in Jesus’ Name.

Thank You, Heavenly Father, as You watch over me to perform what is written in Your Word, and that Your Precious Son has set me free, I declare now that I have overcomed and conquered resentment and bitterness by the Blood of the Lamb, and by the word of my testimony, in Jesus’ Name.

Satan, I now cut off all power from you and your forces by the power of our Almighty God, our Lord Jesus Christ through His Blood, and I tell you and your forces to get in Jesus’ Name.

 

[Robinsegg]

Read through 1 & 2 Peter . . . some really good information on how to deal with being mistreated.
Rachel