How do you overcome bitterness toward God?

[simply christian]

I'm wondering how you do this. Can anyone help?

 

[Scottmcc1]

You will get many answers better and wordier than mine. But my 2 cents are that God is not the problem you face. God is the solution.

Have you lost a loved one? Did your job lay you off leaving you homeless? Is your health breaking down and leaving you in pain?

I guess there would be many other reasons causing bitterness.

The core issue is to answer the question of what is going on with the problems you face.

John 10:10 shows me that it is not God who makes you sick, takes your job, takes your loved ones etc. It is our enemy Satan who steals our possessions, kicks in our health and destroys our loved ones. God is the one who is on our side and will help us in life.

But there is another level here. Life is not about us! It's about Jesus and our service to Him. The more we keep our minds on Jesus and our love for Him and service to Him the less we think of ourselves. Romans 8:1-6 shows a life set on living for Jesus allows us to move away from self and frees us to serve freely for Jesus.

Here is what I call my outline for living for Jesus. I will develop this thought in future posts.

 

[Scottmcc1]

A recent blog post on Psalm 13

How Long?
Psalm 13 How long? How Long? How long? How long?
How long, O Lord?
Will you forget me forever?

How long will you hide Your face from me?

How long shall I take counsel in my soul?
Having sorrow in my heart all the day.

How long will my enemies be exaulted over me?

4 how longs. This is a psalm of David and he expresses exasperation of a lack of an answer to prayer.

Forgot me forever - No answer and the sky seems like brass. His prayers are to nothing no answer no consolation.

Without an answer there does not seem to be a God up there. God hides his face.
When David asks God hides. Why?

Take counsel in my soul. To consider why this trial has come. All the day. The pain beings up the problem David is not able to forget.

How long will his enemy be exaulted over him? David does not have the answer. He is wondering why not. He is oppressed by the enemy.

B U T

This new word will do a wonderful work in our heart. The complaint should not end, with a complaint.
But
1. I have trustred.
But
2. My heart shall rejoice.
But
I will sing.
Why this turn of events?
David is a man after God's own heart. 1 Sam 13:14 Acts 13:22 And what does God's heart delight in? He delights in faith. Faith to obey. Faith to trust.
Hebrews 11:6

David trusts in God's lovingkindness.
David's heart shall rejoice in God's salvation.
He expresses his trust and heart rejoicing with singing.

And why does David respond to the seemingly forgetfulness of God. The removal of God's presence from him. The enemies exaulting over him.

David confesses that God has dealt bountifully with him in the midst of God seemingly to forget him. David sings to God in the face of God seemingly being far from him. David rejoices in the midst of his enemies being exaulted over him.

Why because David believes God. He expresses his belief in the midst of turmoil and trial and seemingly defeat by rejoicing, singing and trusting. He confesses that God has delt bountifuly with him. Not a woe is me but God will come through. BUT He trusts and rejoices in God in the very midst of trial, forgetfulness and opression.

He expresses faith in the midst of adversity by trusting singing rejoicing and confessing God's provision.

This is how we stand in the midst of trial explained in Eph 6:11 2 Cor 10:3-5

Stand against the schemes of the devil.
How by trusting, rejoicing, singing and stating God's provision.

And what is God's provision? The promises in the Bible. 2 Peter 1; 2 Cor 1:20

For in Him we live and move and have our being. It's not we live when things are going our way. It's we live becasue we have Jesus. It doesn't make any difference what Satan throws at us. We live when we have Jesus.

Psalm 13

How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul,
Having sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?
3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
Enlighten my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death,
4 And my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
And my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken.
5 But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness;
My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
6 I will sing to the Lord,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

 

[Scottmcc1]

Here is something I wrote on resentment.

Dealing With Resentment



Resentment comes into our lives in a natural way. It is common because as people rub shoulders and work together there will be misunderstandings. So resentment is natural. How does a Christian protect himself from resentment?
Resentment is similar to one of the fruits of the flesh, enmities, listed in Galatians 5:19-21.

Gal 5:24 offers the solution . Now those who belong to Christ, have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Have we neglected a basic step of our Christian walk? To not understand or follow the the requirements of the cross on a daily basis, restricts us from living a fruitful Christian life.

Our dying to ourself and living for the purposes of God, is the answer presented in Gal. 5. Romans 8 also offers a solution of not considering yourself as tied to the law but to the law of liberty of life in Christ Jesus. As we set our mind on Jesus and not rules, we are able to live according the the Spirit and not our fleshly nature. So set your mind on Jesus.

Man is trapped in the cycle of violence and bickering. Gal. 3:13 says we are free from the curse of the law for cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree. Because of the sacrifice of Christ we are free of this curse. As we follow Jesus in living for Him and not ourself by dying or denying what we want in order to serve Jesus, we are free of this trap.

Jesus says in Matt 6 to pray not to be led into temptation but that He would deliver us from evil. Our prayer life is vital to the ability to live according to the promises found in the Bible. Ezekiel instructs us to be watchman in our prayers.

Live standing on God's promises when tested. Live expecting the Lord to intervene, giving us the victory over wrong emotions that come to us naturally.

With resentment and other fruits of the flesh, don't overcome evil with evil. Overcome evil with good. People will say, “How can I do good when someone treats me wrong.”

It is not us that react but it is the Spirit in us as we yield ourselves to Him in dying to our needs and wants and living according to the will of God.

When someone treats you wrong, look for ways to treat them right.

Guard against resentment in prayer. We are to pray for our enemies. The person may not be an enemy but Satan may be using them to get at us. Prayer for our enemies helps us stay away from resentment.

How should we pray?

Ask God to bless the person that is giving you a hard time, and that their life will be prosperous. When you pray for the true welfare of a person, not asking God to cause them to see the error of their ways, you are then praying with a clean heart.

Look to preserve the unity of the Spirit. When you hold resentment against someone you are breaking the unity. It is important to get that resentment out. You can't ignore the situation. If you do it will blow up at a later date. It may be a small or insignificant problem but as you hold it in and don't deal with it, you will have a bigger problem later. Be quick to forgive in prayer, whether they deserve it or not. That does not mean you need to invite them over for dinner. But you can have a clean conscience towards them.

Focus on your responsibility in dealing with the problem. Don't worry about something that is not your responsibility.

Keep an attitude of humbleness. Consider others as more important than yourself. This becomes easier as we learn to die to our life and our wants.

Don't forget, as we are rubbed the wrong way, we are to rejoice in trials. This rejoicing releases God's answer. It will break our resentment, but it may not be resolved with the other person. God wants praise when difficulties come. That is hard to understand but its in many places in the Bible. Praise and thankfulness are an expression of faith. Having faith in God, brings a solution and dissolves resentment.

 

[stevenfrancis]

I'm wondering how you do this. Can anyone help?

Through prayer, giving alms, and by practicing forgiveness of others as you wish to be forgiven. Also by participating in the sacramental grace offered by Jesus Christ through his sacraments. Particularly the sacrament of Holy Eucharist.

JOHN 6:
[51] I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh."
[52] The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"
[53] So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you;
[54] he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
[55] For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
[56] He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.
[57] As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me.
[58] This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever."

 

[simply christian]

You will get many answers better and wordier than mine. But my 2 cents are that God is not the problem you face. God is the solution.

Have you lost a loved one? Did your job lay you off leaving you homeless? Is your health breaking down and leaving you in pain?

I guess there would be many other reasons causing bitterness.

The core issue is to answer the question of what is going on with the problems you face.

John 10:10 shows me that it is not God who makes you sick, takes your job, takes your loved ones etc. It is our enemy Satan who steals our possessions, kicks in our health and destroys our loved ones. God is the one who is on our side and will help us in life.

But there is another level here. Life is not about us! It's about Jesus and our service to Him. The more we keep our minds on Jesus and our love for Him and service to Him the less we think of ourselves. Romans 8:1-6 shows a life set on living for Jesus allows us to move away from self and frees us to serve freely for Jesus.

Here is what I call my outline for living for Jesus. I will develop this thought in future posts.

Doesn't Satan work for God though? In the old testament, Satan did as God commanded. In Job, Satan was doing whatever Yahweh allowed him to. Doesn't that prove that Satan is just doing what God wants?

How am I not supposed to be bitter towards God when he is sending Satan to attack me?

 

[Scottmcc1]

Doesn't Satan work for God though? In the old testament, Satan did as God commanded. In Job, Satan was doing whatever Yahweh allowed him to. Doesn't that prove that Satan is just doing what God wants?

How am I not supposed to be bitter towards God when he is sending Satan to attack me?

Does Satan work for God? No.
Satan is trying to drag people into hell. God wants all to repent. They are working against each other.

God does not command/order Satan to attack Job. Quote the Scripture and let's look at it.

There is a lot to consider. Different covenant. Getting a rare view of the Spirit realm discussion.

 

[hhodgson]

How do you overcome bitterness toward god? I'm wondering how you do this. Can anyone help?

Careful here my friend... If one has bitterness (anger) toward God, chances are they also believe that God gets angry and bitter at them. Understand this... God will "never" be angry, mad or bitter at us, SO... there is absolutely "no acceptable reason" to be bitter and angry at God... for anything!

ALL of God's anger has been "finished" by what Jesus did on the cross, and ALL of our anger should be "finished" by receiving what Jesus did on the cross.

Welcome to our forum...


Greater works... for such a time as this...
_____________
Harry

 

[victoryword]

Doesn't Satan work for God though? In the old testament, Satan did as God commanded. In Job, Satan was doing whatever Yahweh allowed him to. Doesn't that prove that Satan is just doing what God wants?

How am I not supposed to be bitter towards God when he is sending Satan to attack me?

Hi Simply Christian

Satan does NOT work for God. If you read Job chapter 1 very carefully you will find that it is not teaching this idea:

And the day is, that sons of God come in to station themselves by Jehovah, and there doth come also the Adversary in their midst. And Jehovah saith unto the Adversary, `Whence comest thou?' And the Adversary answereth Jehovah and saith, `From going to and fro in the land, and from walking up and down on it.' And Jehovah saith unto the Adversary, `Hast thou set thy heart against My servant Job because there is none like him in the land, a man perfect and upright, fearing God, and turning aside from evil?' (Job 1:6-8; Young's Literal Translation)
​

If God was controlling the actions of Satan then why would God need to ask Satan where he was coming from and what was he doing? Couldn't He have said, "Have you come back from walking up and down in the earth as I have been making you do?"

Furthermore, why does God point out the fact that He knows that Satan has been targetting Job (Young tells us the literal translation: "Hast thou set thy heart against My servant Job....." demonstrating that God did not throw Job to the devil as some claim but knew that Satan was already after him as evidenced by the rest of their conversation).

I have more to say on this Job thing but don't want to write a long post. Hope that this little, as well as the great posts written by others, have helped.

 

[simply christian]

Does Satan work for God? No.
Satan is trying to drag people into hell. God wants all to repent. They are working against each other.

God does not command/order Satan to attack Job. Quote the Scripture and let's look at it.

There is a lot to consider. Different covenant. Getting a rare view of the Spirit realm discussion.

Job chapter 1:

6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.

7 And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

8 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

9 Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?

10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.

11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.

12 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.

According to scripture, God first asked Satan what he thought of Job, knowing full well what Satan would say to God. Then, God sends Satan forth to do as he (the devil) wishes. "Behold, he is in your hand." This happens again, later in the book. God authorizes the devil to persecute Job for some mysterious reason that we never learn. God limits Satan, but he is still the one sending forth the devil and letting him do whatever he pleases to Job.

 

[simply christian]

Careful here my friend... If one has bitterness (anger) toward God, chances are they also believe that God gets angry and bitter at them. Understand this... God will "never" be angry, mad or bitter at us, SO... there is absolutely "no acceptable reason" to be bitter and angry at God... for anything!

ALL of God's anger has been "finished" by what Jesus did on the cross, and ALL of our anger should be "finished" by receiving what Jesus did on the cross.

Welcome to our forum...


Greater works... for such a time as this...
_____________
Harry

There are many reasons to be bitter with God for unanswered prayer, death of loved ones, people unhealed, things lost, God not responding to prayers for important things, etc. If you have a perfect life, then no, you have no reason to ever feel this way. But not everyone does.

Whether God gets angry or not is largely irrelevant to feeling bitter at God. Bitterness toward God comes from having unmet expectations of something we feel God should have done or prevented and didn't.

 

[victoryword]

According to scripture, God first asked Satan what he thought of Job, knowing full well what Satan would say to God. Then, God sends Satan forth to do as he (the devil) wishes. "Behold, he is in your hand." This happens again, later in the book. God authorizes the devil to persecute Job for some mysterious reason that we never learn. God limits Satan, but he is still the one sending forth the devil and letting him do whatever he pleases to Job.

As I stated in my post, the literal understanding of Job 1:8 is different from what most other translations say:

And Jehovah saith unto the Adversary, `Hast thou set thy heart against My servant Job because there is none like him in the land, a man perfect and upright, fearing God, and turning aside from evil?' (Young's Literal Translation)

And Jehovah said to Satan, Have you set your heart against My servant Job, because there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and upright man, one who fears God and turns away from evil? (Modern King James)
​

Albert Barnes says that this is the correct translation and wrote, "that it means more than merely to observe or to look at - since it is abundantly manifest from the following verses that Satan "had" attentively considered Job, and had been desirous of injuring him"

Satan already had Job in his rifle scope and was looking for an opportunity to destroy him. So what does he do? He accuses God of buying Job's worship through His blessings, thus castigating God's character in front of the rest of the universe.

So God could either destroy Satan right there, thus continuing to leave doubt in the mind of the rest of the angels that perhaps Satan was right (and Satan would have won his objective) or let Satan prove his case and lose (which he did).

Satan acknowledges, unlike so many people, that God is the one blessing and protecting His people. Satan has better insight into God's ways (and thus tries to twist them) than many Christians I know.

 

[hhodgson]

There are many reasons to be bitter with God for unanswered prayer, death of loved ones, people unhealed, things lost, God not responding to prayers for important things, etc. If you have a perfect life, then no, you have no reason to ever feel this way. But not everyone does.

Unanswered prayer...
Death of loved ones...
People unhealed...
Things lost...
God not responding...
(or anything else...) Not God's fault...

(Hosea 4:6) "My people perish for lack of knowledge."

Greater works...
_____________
Harry

 

[justhappeneduponthis]

Discipline yourself to study lovely things and to realize that He is the Artisan behind them all (Philippians 4). At the same time be reminded that He gave the licence for Christ's passion. When you reconcile the two, you will be overcome with a love response.

See the following link Ripped By the Passion:
Ripped by the Passion « justhappeneduponthis

 

[victoryword]

Discipline yourself to study lovely things and to realize that He is the Artisan behind them all (Philippians 4). At the same time be reminded that He gave the licence for Christ's passion. When you reconcile the two, you will be overcome with a love response.

See the following link Ripped By the Passion:
Ripped by the Passion « justhappeneduponthis

Never understand how anyone can make the claim that God is "the artisan behind them all" (referring to life's negative circumstances) when the Bible teaches that Satan has "works" that Jesus opposed and destroyed:

He who commits sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8)
​

In Acts 10:38, we are told that Jesus came to deliver those oppressed by Satan. Yet, so many attribute the oppressive works of Satan to God who is the deliverer from oppression.

 

[Living in the Light]

God is not your genie in a bottle that grants your every wish and desire. The relationship between God and man is a partnership. God provides us the basics such as the earth with its soil, sun, rain, and seeds to grow food. Man must do his part in using the basics (with God's help) to live for His glory through devotion, love, and kindness to all. Life is difficult and requires work. How about considering gratitude rather than bitterness? The answers will come, but it may take time.

 

[Wagonmaker]

Your quality of life is a result of your mind and heart. God is the ideal answer to all of your issues. I know how that might not sound like I'm answering your question. This is the answer I needed when I asked the same.

 

[justhappeneduponthis]

Victoryword: Read my post again. God is responsible for beautiful things. Somehow, and through a great deal of pain experienced by the Heavenly Father, the cross of greatest humiliation also became a beautiful thing. You can see that, can't you?

As for God issuing hardships and using them ultimately for redemptive purposes of greatest good, read the prophet Amos, or even Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount when He says "the rains descended and the floods came and the winds blew" (Matthew 7:25)

No "victory mottos" should over-ride these important truths.

 

[Wagonmaker]

There are many reasons to be bitter with God for unanswered prayer, death of loved ones, people unhealed, things lost, God not responding to prayers for important things, etc. If you have a perfect life, then no, you have no reason to ever feel this way. But not everyone does.

Whether God gets angry or not is largely irrelevant to feeling bitter at God. Bitterness toward God comes from having unmet expectations of something we feel God should have done or prevented and didn't.

God (the power of the cosmos) owes you diddly squat.

 

[Lilly Owl]

Doesn't Satan work for God though? In the old testament, Satan did as God commanded. In Job, Satan was doing whatever Yahweh allowed him to. Doesn't that prove that Satan is just doing what God wants?

How am I not supposed to be bitter towards God when he is sending Satan to attack me?

Isaiah 45:7 makes for an interesting perspective on this topic.
I read someone say once that Job implied God was playing chess with Satan and we humans(Job) are the pawns.

I think if someone is bitter toward God, that God being omniscient would understand. And being omni-benevolent would have to forgive them, in that understanding.

Why did God let Satan live after his rebellion in Heaven?
It's a curiosity to be sure.