Resentment
Doesn’t it feel great when your hard work, long hours and commitment are noticed and appreciated by others. How about when you receive a heartfelt thank you for cooking, cleaning and taking care of your home. Or when your family and friends recognize the time and effort you put in to making sure all of their needs and desires are taken care of.
In reality there are times that none of that happens and you are left feeling unappreciated, looked over and taken for granted. What do you do when that happens?
In those situations it’s very easy for resentment to take center stage and steer us down the road of bitterness, anger and unforgiveness. Selt pity snuggles up to us and tells us we deserve to be treated so much better and that those family members and friends are lucky to have us.
But if we stopped and took those feelings to God and asked for His perspective, we would see that the things that bother us the most about them, are often the very things we ourselves are doing.
I was reading a bible study on resentment and the author suggested writing down everything you are experiencing that is causing you to feel resentful. This list then becomes your prayer list for yourself. I thougth that was a typo and that it should read a prayer list for others, until I began praying.
As I prayed over my list, what began as, “look what they are doing,” quickly became, “Oh Lord, I’m sorry. I do the same thing.” For example, when I was praying about the selfish attitudes of others, God showed me my own selfish attitude. When praying about feeling unappreciated, I was reminded about times that I was not appeciative of others.
A quote from the author read, “Jesus didn’t just die for you, my righteous friend. He died for the person who’s hurt you, too. He loves both of you the same and died for both of you because you are both sinners. Different stories, different sins, same black marks.”
How’s that for a reality check!
Resentment is the opposite of being grateful and must be addressed and dealt with or it will destroy our relationships. It’s the enemy’s way of drawing us away from the healing hands of God.
The way to overcome resentment is:
- Take your feelings to God. (Philippians 4:6-7)
- Let Him refine you through revealing the truth about yourself. (Psalm 139:23-24)
- Pray for the people who caused the hurtful feelings. (Colossians 3:8, 12-13)
- Forgive them and leave them in God’s capable hands. (Luke 6:37)
- Love them. (Luke 6:35)
Remember that no matter what friends or family may say or do, you are a Daughter of The King! You are highly favored, loved beyond measure and of great value.
Be Intentional about dealing with resentment in a Godly way.
Praises & Prayers
Father, thank you for humbly showing me that I need to work on handling feelings of resentment Your way. Please forgive my wrong attitudes and my lack of appreciation for others. I pray for those that are on my list and thank you for them. You are a very good God. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Messages from His Word
Ephesians 4:26-27
“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.