Repentance from Bitterness

Resentment is like a venomous creeper in the garden of our hearts. If you nurture the tiny seed of hurt, it can slowly grow deep roots and creep into almost every area of your life. Once this offense that was neatly tucked away in a corner of your heart becomes fully blown bitterness – it’s like a lens through which you see the world. Your opinions, thoughts, reactions, actions, and words become tainted with this bitterness. Your worldview is affected, and you struggle to separate yourself from your hurt.

As we’re assuming a stance of repentance this week, I ask you to search your heart and look into every nook and cranny for hurt, offenses, and resentment you might be harboring. Bring these feelings before God, however big or small they are. In John 15, Jesus says that our Father in heaven is our gardener, and He is more than able to uproot bitterness, resentment, and hurt from our hearts, but He can only do so when He is invited to. Let’s invite the pruning and gardening of the Father in our hearts today.

Journaling Prompt:

Today, your art journaling prompt is “freedom." Use colors and images that convey the freedom and lightness that accompany forgiveness to depict the process of releasing bitterness.