"If you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you." Matthew 6:14 (NIV)
Hi Parents!
Sometimes we feel as if the world is against us. A friend betrays us, we don't get the recognition we were expecting, or we are accused of something we didn't do. Yet even in those times, God sees us - the tears we shed in hiding, the prayers we shout into the air, the cries of confusion when we wonder, "What happened Lord?" Sometimes our pain feels like barbed wire biting into our skin or we feel like a cow chewing on its cud - chew, swallow, bring up the conversation again, repeat. As the day wears on, that cud begins to taste bitter. Paul David Tripp says "Harboring bitterness against people is actually confessing their sin to ourselves, over and over again."
Rather than holding on to bitterness, anger, and disappointment, rather than shouting to the wind with a clenched fist because we have been wronged, we can release our pain to the One who knows our hurt and can teach us to forgive. We can choose our "food for thought." We can choose what we chew on. Careless words hurt us, and people offend us, but we don't have to chew on those words over and over. God alone can heal our wounds.
Ask your teen...
How can you change the conversation in your own mind so that you can let go of bitterness and see the truth?
Challenge your teen...
When bitterness and ager start building up inside, step back, take a deep breath, and say a prayer. You might discover that you were indeed wronged. But by taking time to get some perspective, you might find a way to respond with grace instead of lashing out in the heat of the moment. Angry words are easy to speak, but you can never get them back.
Prayer...
Lord, help us to trust you with our pain and to release the bitterness we carry. We want to forgive those who have hurt us. Teach us how, Lord, Amen.
Hi Parents!
Sometimes we feel as if the world is against us. A friend betrays us, we don't get the recognition we were expecting, or we are accused of something we didn't do. Yet even in those times, God sees us - the tears we shed in hiding, the prayers we shout into the air, the cries of confusion when we wonder, "What happened Lord?" Sometimes our pain feels like barbed wire biting into our skin or we feel like a cow chewing on its cud - chew, swallow, bring up the conversation again, repeat. As the day wears on, that cud begins to taste bitter. Paul David Tripp says "Harboring bitterness against people is actually confessing their sin to ourselves, over and over again."
Rather than holding on to bitterness, anger, and disappointment, rather than shouting to the wind with a clenched fist because we have been wronged, we can release our pain to the One who knows our hurt and can teach us to forgive. We can choose our "food for thought." We can choose what we chew on. Careless words hurt us, and people offend us, but we don't have to chew on those words over and over. God alone can heal our wounds.
Ask your teen...
How can you change the conversation in your own mind so that you can let go of bitterness and see the truth?
Challenge your teen...
When bitterness and ager start building up inside, step back, take a deep breath, and say a prayer. You might discover that you were indeed wronged. But by taking time to get some perspective, you might find a way to respond with grace instead of lashing out in the heat of the moment. Angry words are easy to speak, but you can never get them back.
Prayer...
Lord, help us to trust you with our pain and to release the bitterness we carry. We want to forgive those who have hurt us. Teach us how, Lord, Amen.
RSS Feed