Bowling for Bitterness

At life group the other night, our leader prepared us for serious discussion with a little Wii bowling. In a close girls vs. guys game, the guys pulled ahead for the win. Congrats, guys. It was a fun start (after the pizza, of course) to a great meeting. But I think I missed how the bowling was supposed to tie in to our lesson on bitterness. Maybe the bowling trash talk was supposed to inspire some bitterness we could then reflect on. Like when the guys pulled in their ringer for a double strike, and then rubbed it in. Not that we minded.

We started with Colossians 3:12-15, which you Fellowshippers will recognize from John’s HOSTAGE talk on bitterness. “Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts, for as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.”

Seems pretty straightforward – make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive anyone who offends you – and covers a lot of ground. But then, our intrepid leader led us further. When we’ve been offended, how do we go about preventing bitterness? He gave us four steps.

Step one: Realize that God is working through the actions of the offender. (Whoa! I told you this was going to tie in to the whole “opportunity” discussion. Though people may treat us badly, we have the option of viewing it from a broader lens and looking for how God might be working through the situation.) Genesis 50:20 – You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me into this position so I could save the lives of many people.

Step two: Thank God for the benefit he brings through each offence. James 1:2-3 – When troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.

Step three: Determine what character qualities God wants to develop in us through this experience. Galations 5:22-23 – The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control.

Step four: Expect to suffer for doing right. There’s a lot of reasons we suffer … our own fault, others’ faults … but being good or doing the right thing doesn’t insulate us from attack. In fact, the bible says we can expect to sometimes suffer for doing good. Philippians 1:29 – You will suffer for [Christ’s] sake.

What’s going on in your life right now? Anyone you’re not too thrilled with? What hurts do you still carry from years ago? Is there any other way you could view the situation than you have been? Any opportunity for something good to come out of something bad? Here’s what God promises in Romans 8:28 – And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him.