By Lou Priolo (summary by Jeffrey Bush)
- Bitterness comes from not being able to forgive others.
- God says that bitterness is a root, so there must be seeds. The seeds are usually a
hurt. - How do you know if you are bitter or not? According to Proverbs 14:10, the heart
knows its own bitterness — you know if you are bitter or not. - Bitterness is seen in multiple ways: you cannot resolve a conflict, cold shoulder or
vindictive, outburst of anger (overreacting, emotionally), snide comments or remarks,
speaking to someone as though they are inferior, mean joking, criticism, intolerance,
hypersensitivity, impatience, endurance to our prayers, inability to love, God and
others, etc. - Forgiveness is costly. It cost you the offense that you forgive.
- The offense that you forgive, however bad it may seem to you, is not as bad as the
sins Jesus forgave you for in salvation - God goes on record to say that He will remember your sins no more.
- Forgiveness is not a feeling, it’s a promise. When you forgive, you are promising not
to hold the offenses of the other person. This is what Jesus did for you. - Forgiveness is immediate. Trust takes time.
- Forgetting is a result of forgiving.