Resentment is one of the reasons why our relationships with others are broken. Many things can cause our resentment towards others, such as being taken advantage of, feeling put down, not being heard, being insulted, or being misunderstood. When we do not deal with these causes, it leads us to frustration, anger, bitterness, or hard feelings. Once these negative emotions enter our hearts, it leads to resentment that can lead to grudge or unforgiveness. The danger of resentment is that it slowly destroys our love relationship with others we love. The reason is that we tend to show our resentment by avoiding or being silent. When we keep our resentment, it will eventually come out of us, resulting in an outburst of rage, uncontrolled anger, or depression. Our resentment also keeps us from drawing closer to God. It can affect our prayer life and daily devotion.
As God's children, how should we handle resentment? Ephesians 4:31-32 says, "Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you." The first step is to acknowledge that God does not want us to be resentful to anyone. God wants us to get rid of all evil behavior. The second step is to pray for the person that we resent. Pray specifically for a change or softening of the hearts of the people we resent and ours. Pray for reconciliation. The third step is to open a conversation for reconciliation. We need to pray for wisdom on what to say. We can calmly mention to the person how we feel. We may be surprised that they do not even know that they are offending us with their actions. We can also give them the opportunity to ask for forgiveness and restore our relationship.
Dealing with difficult relational issues of life, such as resentment, is a part of our spiritual maturity. If we want to be the person that God wants us to be, let us be brave and courageous in doing what is right in the sight of our Lord Jesus. Let us not give in to resentment but to deal with it before it consumes us. God wants us to live in forgiveness, love, and peace.
Ask yourself these questions: Do I resent someone right now? What steps do I need to take to deal with my resentment? What is the will of God in my resentment towards others?
Write down all the worries you face today and lift them up to God.
Prayer:
Father in Heaven, thank you for teaching me today about resentment. Please help me to deal with my resentment towards others. I confess and ask for your forgiveness for being resentful. Give me the courage and wisdom on how to deal with my resentment. I want to be free from this and live in your forgiveness, love, and peace. In your name Jesus, I pray. Amen.