God’s gentle lesson needed to soften my heart.
by Jennifer Greene-Sullivan
For days now, I’ve felt something brewing in my spirit—unsettling and heavy.
Words like harsh, angry, and most clearly, resentment, started bubbling up without a clear reason why.
When something stirs like that—especially when I can’t tie it to a specific moment—I know Jesus is up to something. He’s not stirring for the sake of discomfort. He’s preparing me to learn.
So I sat with it. I prayed. I asked. “Lord, what are You showing me?” Then, this morning, as I sat at my desk trying to put these swirling thoughts into words, I looked out the window—and there he was. The one I didn’t know I needed to forgive.
The one attached to the resentment.
He pulled into our drive.
We didn’t speak.
We didn’t argue.
We didn’t reconcile.
However, I knew. God was showing me that the lesson was not about confrontation—it was about preparation.
He often begins His work in our hearts before a moment ever comes. He stirs days in advance to soften the soil, so that when the time comes to plant forgiveness, we’re not too hardened to let it take root.
Here’s what I know: Resentment separates. It separates us from peace, from clarity, and most importantly, from communion with our Father.
Left unchecked, resentment festers into unforgiveness. Unfortunately, unforgiveness grows into bitterness. Ultimately, bitterness poisons more than just our hearts—it poisons our worship.
God’s word says in Ephesians 4:31–32:
“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
So even though we didn’t speak today, I still made a choice.
To forgive.
To uproot the bitter root before it could settle too deep into my spirit.
To not grieve the Holy Spirit over a situation that God is already redeeming.
Sometimes the healing happens in silence—between the heart and the Holy Spirit. Sometimes, the loudest act of obedience is choosing peace when resentment is clawing for your attention.
📖 Scripture Study: Resentment and the Call to Forgive (ESV)
- Ephesians 4:31–32 (ESV)
“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
☑️ Resentment has no place in a heart shaped by grace. Forgiveness is our posture.
- Hebrews 12:14–15 (ESV)
“Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no ‘root of bitterness’ springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled.”
☑️ Bitterness spreads silently but dangerously—deal with it before it takes root.
- Colossians 3:13 (ESV)
“Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”
☑️ Forgiveness isn’t a suggestion—it’s a reflection of our identity in Christ.
- Proverbs 10:12 (ESV)
“Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.”
☑️ Resentment fuels conflict, but love quiets it. Love is the higher road.
- Matthew 6:14–15 (ESV)
“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
☑️ Our forgiveness from God is tied to our willingness to forgive others.
🔥 Challenge: Uproot It Before It Settles
Take 5 minutes today to ask the Lord:
“Is there anyone I’m resenting? Anyone I’ve avoided forgiving?”
Write down the name if one comes to mind. Then, pray blessing over them. Not just silence, not just tolerance—blessing.
The enemy thrives in hidden bitterness.
God heals what we hand over to Him in surrender.
🙏 Prayer
Father,
Search my heart. Reveal the places where resentment still lives.
Uproot every bitter root before it poisons my peace or clouds my view of You.
I surrender the feelings I’ve harbored—spoken and unspoken—and I choose forgiveness today, not because they earned it, but because You gave it to me first.
Let Your Spirit guide my heart when I feel angry or unseen.
Make me quick to forgive, slow to anger, and willing to love, even when it’s hard.
Thank You for the grace that covers me—and the grace I now extend.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
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