Love is a precious word to many. This sheer adoration of an epiphany of the mind, heart and soul can immediately send a beautiful feeling and message to one’s entire being. However, when our emotions and affective domain functions experience a taste of Bitterness in our CUP, we often forget the foundation of Love’s principal, “forgiveness”. We immediately resort to resentment and recite the wrongs which led to our bitterness attempting to justify our refusal to “forgive”. But as Christians, your Bitter CUP is a reminder that you can never have “love” without “forgiveness”, because God is LOVE (1John4:8) and LOVE forgives (John 3:16). There are no conditions or restrictions to God’s Love, so there are no conditions or restrictions to our love as Christians. Collect Stones as you battle your bitter emotions and slay your alter egos. In the Spirit of Christ, remind yourself that JESUS freed you from shame, pride, humiliation, egotism, and embarrassment, and let your heart, mind, and soul yield to Forgiveness. Put all these alter ego characteristics back on the Altar of God and let them burn by the fire of the Holy Ghost. Yes, as God gave His only begotten Son, JESUS CHRIST, to be the ultimate sacrifice for all our sins so that we may have eternal life (Salvation) as Christians, this same LOVE in us will yield the same outcome, forgiveness. Forgiveness is truly a euphoria of Christian spiritual love and will slay your alter egos instantly.
Jesus teaches us three actions we must execute as his disciples in Luke 9:23. We must first deny ourselves In other words, “deny” means to disown, or lose sight of oneself or interests. The second action Jesus teaches in this verse, is to pick up your cross. Your cross is the reminder of what JESUS did when He died on the cross for you. Jesus loves us, forgave us, blotted out our sins and transgressions, was bruised for our iniquities, was chastised for our guilt, was shamed, was beaten, was humiliated, was Crucified on the Cross, and was treated as an embarrassment by many of His Disciples who forsook Him as He was taken into captivity. JESUS’ death on the Cross freed us from our Shame, Humiliation, Embarrassment, Egotism, and Pride alter egos we often use to justify why “we” cannot forgive. Christians, these “bitter” emotion alter egos all died on the Cross! The third and final action Jesus teaches us is to “follow” Him. Follow means, to go with, join, and do the same. John writes…And this is the commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. (1John 3:23, KJV) Our Salvation is our seal of redemption, and because we have been forgiven, forgiveness is in our DNA. It is who we are, LOVE and FORGIVENESS!
So as you drink your Bitter CUP, be reminded of who you must forgive if you are truly a Christian. Forgiveness will transition your bitterness into the Spiritual Love euphoria Jesus spoke of in John 13:34 (…A new commandment I give unto you, That love ye one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another). Collect Stones and slay the memory of your alter ego S.H.E.E.P. character. It was part of the “old man” of which you now have “put off”. The Apostle John writes in his three letters…My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth. (1John 3:18). When we LOVE and FORGIVE it is a true indicator that Christ Lives within us, for without Him, we can do nothing. Jesus said, …If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our home with him. (John 14:23 ESV).
[Love is patient, love is kind, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it Is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away… 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 NIV] Amen.
BITTER C.U.P. Consumed Under Pressure © Lady Angela Carter
Powerful, encouraging, convicting and very needed🙏🏽
Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it.