Overcoming Resentment

• Complete steps 1-3 of today’s task reading

Today's Devotional:

Today we will focus on unresolved resentment and abandonment.  It’s interesting how rejection can make us physically and emotionally sick.  It is even more interesting how if we constantly recall and re-experience stressful events, it will cause our body to tense and experience the stress again, which means we will not just experience the stress from that single occurrence, but experience the stress for multiple occurrences over a long period of time. 

That why it is so important for us to express negative feelings and forgive others.  Forgiving actually help heal our wounds and can be medicine to our body and soul.  So the key to our healing when we forgive is to find ways for our anger to dissipate. 

Step 1- we should relax in a quiet room with soft lighting and the door shut.  Then we should sit in a chair with our feet flat on the floor and our eyes closed.  Next we should take deep breaths and in our head say the word “relax”.  Repeat the deep breaths until we feel every part of our body relax from our head to our toes.  Then we will rest quietly for two to five minutes. 

Step 2- we should visualize the resentful situation in our minds and be aware how we are reacting.  Are we being bitter, angry or mad?  Are we cursing, screaming or rude?  If so, let us think about reversing our reaction by showing love and forgiveness.  1 Corinthians 13:5 says love isn’t selfish, quick tempered and keeps records of wrong.  We should become kind, merciful, forgiving – just like God who forgave our sins because of Jesus Christ sacrificing His life by dying on the cross (Ephesians 4:31-32).  Besides when we love we look beyond the sin and see the need.  That is why 1 Peter 4:8 says love covers a multitude of sin.  

Step 3- we should pray that God fill our heart with love and gratitude even in awful circumstances.  A perfect example of filling our hearts with love and gratitude is the story of Carrie Ten Boom.  Her and her family experience great suffering in the Nazi prison camp during World War II.  In spite of the suffering, she was able to read scriptures and worship in her living quarters in the Nazi camp, because it was infested with fleas and kept away the guards. After the war, Carrie set up rehabilitation centers for former prisoners of the war as well as reached out to the Nazi helping them find forgiveness and restoration.  

Today’s Prayer:  God, You reign forever and ever in the heavens and on earth.  We are so thankful for You.  You deserve all the glory, honor and praise. Let Your kingdom come and will be done in our lives.  Help us to focus on unresolved resentment and abandonment.  We don’t want to be physically and emotionally sick.  We don’t want to constantly recall and re-experience stressful events.  Help us to express negative feelings and forgive others.  We want to experience healing for our wounds and medicine for our body and soul.  Lord, help us to relax.  Help us to visualize the resentful situation and react to it by showing love and forgiveness.  Help us to pray that God fill our heart with love and gratitude even in awful circumstances.  Lord, we ask You to please forgive us for all our debts, trespasses, and sins as we forgive our debtors and those who have trespassed and sinned against us.  Lead us not into temptation.  Everyday help us to be equipped with the full armor of God as You deliver us from evil.  For Yours is the Kingdom, Power and Glory.  In Jesus Name I pray. Amen. 

Today's Scriptures:  1 Corinthians 13:5, Ephesians 4:31-32, 1 Peter 4:8 

Share...