As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
“Jesus didn’t accuse the man of dishonesty, theft, or injustice…. He was living the life others dreamed of. What’s wrong with that? Then comes the big surprise: ‘But God said to him, “You fool! Tonight you will die. Then who will get what you have stored up?”’” - Randy Alcorn
This brief series of articles arises from the concern that conservative Christianity is in danger of the sin of idolatry. I’ll go a bit further here to say that Christians who do not describe themselves as traditional or conservative are equally in danger of idolatry. Admittedly, I’m dropping these provocative statements to keep you reading, but the danger is real.
“In our ongoing exploration of how Christians should engage with media, we arrive at perhaps the most practical question of all: How do we discern what is acceptable and what should be avoided?” - Don Johnson
“We need the humanities today to remind us how to be fully human as God designed us, to exercise the gifts God has given us, and to love our neighbor.” - TGC
“One definition of ‘overwhelm’ is ‘[to] bury or drown beneath a huge mass.’ While our work might feel like a huge mass we’re buried or drowning beneath, God tells us in Scripture, ‘When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through the fire you shall not be burned and the flame shall not consume you’ (Isa. 43:2).” - TGC
“You cannot drive down a road without encountering it in bumper stickers, billboards, license plates, and advertising signs…. making media an inescapable part of our world. The New Testament makes clear that the world presents a problem for believers. Understanding this requires grappling with what worldliness means.” - Don Johnson
“One of the greatest books I’ve ever read is J. I. Packer’s Knowing God. Knowing God came out in 1973, when Nanci and I were in our first year at Bible college. We read it right away. It was an instant classic.” - Randy Alcorn
“The Connors feel a deep sorrow that robs their joy and causes them to question their parenting. They pray for Kyle and wonder where things went wrong. They worry about his spiritual, physical, mental and emotional health and safety.” - Baptist Press
Read the series so far.
The humble, submissive, thankful attitudes of worship are what make any response to bitterness genuinely Christian. Honoring God with our attitudes is at the heart of why it’s worth the trouble to avoid prolonged bitterness.
But believers struggling with bitterness should also take advantage of practical wisdom. We need to be tactical as well as strategic. With that in mind, my aim here is to commend one practical response to bitterness, along with some caveats and cautions.
Simple though it is, this strategy has made a huge difference in my own life.
“While pride and pushy ways might win some temporary gains (Prov 16:19), the Lord will tear down the house of the proud (Prov 15:25). Whatever his name may be, God calls him ‘Proud,’ ‘Haughty,’ and ‘Scoffer’ for acting with insolent pride (Prov 21:24).” - P&D
Discussion