Serving the Family Series

August 21, 2010

HINDRANCES TO SERVING IN

YOUR FAMILY--PART 2

Scripture Reading--Ephesians 4:31-32

It's difficult to serve those with whom we've suffered an offense.  Rather than seeing them blessed and desiring to help them, we want them to pay for their wrongdoing.  A personal offense we haven't properly dealt with leads to bitterness.  A bitter person isn't necessarily filled with hate and anger; he's consumed with harbored hurt.  Bitterness is the result of being disappointed with someone.  It causes us to turn inward and to become so absorbed with our own pain and hurt that we can't see the needs of others.

Sometimes children become bitter toward their parents.  A biblical example is the prodigal son's brother.  He became bitter toward his father because of his father's goodness toward his undeserving brother.  Note the bitterness in his words--"And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends" ( Luke 15:29 ).  He was so wounded that he refused to celebrate his brother's return with the rest of the family.

The Bible also warns husbands not to become bitter toward their wives.  "Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them" ( Col. 3:19 ).  Of course, it's possible for a wife to become bitter toward her husband and for parents to become bitter toward their children.

The most likely place for bitterness to appear is in the family; because we spend most of our time in our homes, the possibilities of being wounded there are greater.  The only solution for bitterness is a forgiving heart.  Ephesians 4:32 says, "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

Sometimes a hesitancy to serve is the fruit of a bitter heart.  Bitterness blinds us to loving service and makes us selfish and sour.

ACTION POINT:  Is there anyone to whom you need to offer forgiveness?

--Rick Johnson--