ÿWPCm ×WI­1v¼sy„å´é™gvCdð>=§¾xÊ÷— ÷¶®s“Jð‘?ñ$cÎôz6ÀÀƒÖ³°íÕX4Êï~­™ÝN0'ð»6νÅKè,C¿.ÚšIæC¼’'µÁÿ?"Î^h?Öƒ¨jg}›;´ÄlØXöPxa‰Æ«`|!Ò‡Yö­¨6?µP_Gu~EV]ƒ §$ušç¾ßj•\í·¿5¶9[7ß” °Ç‚è|“Šîâ_òÈFÕ Ì 0ÇÏ?Kð»67ðõs¤.­õ0â9•C˜¢v wËû$Ÿ)HñøT‚õFû=6óp\Pc« ̼„²””M€?µméIŠ¡öJÐÀ Ìí[]ß`?;é¾ÒÅú²•ªÕ’6Z”]ÈÏÃMë•ûЊ'ÅÈv7 [÷Ç4Gœ ±Ûh³"kXÀô¶~$G*N•à0ûM\ {`Ä[co°iÏø½”OŇ‚€Ölm #!¶UN× %% 0(+^ Sw@_4Ÿ³Â mÄIÛI$˜Lexmark X125xX,,,,xX0(ÖÃ9 Z‹6Times New Roman RegularX($¡¡Vì.‰ 7E89D:;E<=D>v?v@v¢°Œ*8›‚3|x@ÿU‹ÿÀÀÀ ?Ñ#€??Xÿÿd#ÑØØØØ ?ØØÑ#€??Xÿÿd#ÑØØÝ ƒ!ÝÝ  ÝÔ_Ôñ?ññ>ñØØñ>ññ?ññ?ññ?ñÔ‡èi†çXXÔò òñ@ñÑ€ L¹Ññ@ññ>ñÑ8€„@XXdìXXdì8Ññ>ññ@ñÑ€ „?Ññ@ñWhy€Christians€Should€Avoid€Bitternessó óÔ#†X„@Xçèi†Z#ÔÐ ° ÐÌÔ_ÔSermonetteÔ_Ô€7„12„03€Ann€Arbor,€Michigan€Ô_ÔUCGÔ_ÔÌÌÔ‡èi†çXX„@Ôò òIn€1915,€during€World€War€I,€an€English€nurse€namedÐ üL ÐEdith€Ô_ÔCavellÔ_Ô€(1865„1915)€ran€a€hospital€in€Brussels,ÏBelgium€after€the€Germans€had€invaded€Belgium€andÏhad€occupied€the€city.€€She€was€executed€by€firingÏsquad€for€helping€about€200€Allied€soldiers€escapeÏover€a€period€of€several€months.€€Before€she€died,€sheÏtold€the€chaplain€attending€on€her:€€ð ðStanding,€as€I€do,Ïin€the€view€of€God€and€eternity€I€realize€thatÏpatriotism€is€not€enough.€€I€must€have€no€hatred€orÏbitterness€towards€anyone.ððÌÌThis€lady€of€the€world€realized€that€she€shouldnððt€beÏbitter€even€when€faced€with€death.€€But€do€we?€€AreÏwe€bitter€against€other€people€for€how€they€haveÏtreated€us€in€the€past?€€Are€we€bitter€against,€say,€anÏex„husband€or€ex„wife,€a€father€or€mother,€a€formerÏboss€or€past€employer?€€Are€we€bitter€against€God€forÏallowing€bad€things€to€happen€to€us€or€others€we€love?€ÏAre€we€bitter€because€we€think€life€is€unfair?ÌÌS.P.S.€€We€as€Christians€must€not€be€bitter€towardsÏanyone€who€we€think€has€mistreated€us€in€the€past.€ÏInstead,€we€need€to€be€forgiving,€and€not€hateful,Ð ¬*ü% ÐÑ „?Ñâ  âØØÑ8€„@XXdìXXdì8ÑØØâ  âÑ  Ñtowards€other€people.Ð ° ÐÌWhat€is€bitterness€or€being€òòbitteróó?€€ð ðHaving€a€harsh,Ð À Ðdisagreeably€acrid€taste,€like€that€of€aspirin,€quinine,Ïwormwood,€or€aloes€.€.€.€hard€to€bear,€grievous;Ïdistressful:€òòa€bitter€sorrowóó€.€.€.€causing€pain;€piercing;Ð X ¨ Ðstinging;€òòa€bitter€chillóó€.€.€.€characterized€by€intenseÐ à 0  Ðantagonism€or€hostility:€òòbitter€hatredóó€.€.€.€hard€to€admitÐ h¸  Ðor€accept:€òòa€bitter€lessonóó€.€.€.€€resentful€or€cynical:€òòbitterÐ ð@  Ðwordsóóðð€(òòRandom€House€Unabridged€Dictionary€of€theÐ xÈ  ÐEnglish€Languageóó).Ð P  ÐÌAs€we€consider€these€definitions,€we€as€Christians€haveÏto€realize€that€we€must€reject€this€quality€from€ourÏlives.€€Bitterness€is€a€quality€totally€opposed€toÏforgiveness€and€contentment.€€If€we€are€consistentlyÏbitter€against€others,€our€salvation€is€at€stake.ÌÌHebrews€12:14„15ÌÌWhat€may€cause€bitterness?€€It€can€be€caused€byÏhaving€expectations€that€we€are€entitled€to€something.€ÏFor€example,€do€we€think€we€should€have€a€standardÏof€living€equal€to€that€our€parents€had?€€For€example,Ïif€they€owned€a€house€by€the€time€they€were€30€yearsÏold,€do€we€also?€€Or€if€they€had€a€certain€job€or€career,Ð ø*H& Ðor€made€so€much€money€a€year,€do€we€think€also?€ÌÌMaking€comparisons€is€a€major€source€of€bitterness.€ÏWe€think€about€what€(say)€others€we€know€have€andÏthink€weððre€entitled€to€it€also.€€For€example,€we€mayÏthink€of€brothers€or€sisters,€friends€or€classmates,Ïneighbors€or€coworkers,€who€are€our€age€or€youngerÏwho€have€more€money€or€possessions€than€we€do.€€OrÏit€may€be€theyððre€family€life€is€better.€€Envy€andÏbitterness€are€naturally€tied€together.€€Itððs€dangerousÏto€make€such€comparisons€to€say€lifeððs€been€unfair€toÏus.ÌÌRuth€1:20„22ÌÌWhat€had€happened€to€Naomi?€€She€had€lost€not€onlyÏher€husband,€but€had€buried€two€sons€also.€€She€hadÏno€grandchildren€at€this€point.€ÌÌ€Do€we€complain€about€life€being€unfair€in€general?€ÏDo€we€feel€disappointment?€€Are€we€bitter€againstÏGod€for€allowing€various€trials€and€tests€to€befall€us,Ïwhich€we€beyond€our€control?€€Unemployment,€carÏaccidents,€house€fires,€the€deaths€of€loved€ones,€healthÏproblems,€etc.,€all€may€cause€bitterness€if€we€donððtÏhave€the€right€attitude€about€them.Ð ø*H& ЇDo€we€think,€ð ðGod€is€unfair€to€me!€€Why€me?ðð€€Do€weÏthink€weððre€entitled€to€happiness€at€all€times€in€thisÏlife?€€Thatððs€part€of€the€problem€that€can€causeÏbitterness.€€ÌÌSo€whatððs€the€solution€to€bitterness€then?ÌÌI€Samuel€1:5+,€v.€10+€€ÌÌHaving€no€children€made€Hannah€bitter.€€So€sheÏturned€to€God,€not€against€God,€for€help.€€She€hadÏfaith,€and€was€ultimately€rewarded.€€She€gave€birth€toÏthe€baby€who€eventually€became€Samuel€the€judgeÏand€prophet.€€She€later€had€three€sons€and€twoÏdaughters€in€addition.ÌÌSo€if€we€feel€bitter€about€something€or€someone,€do€weÏturn€to€God€for€help?€€Or€do€we€turn€away€from€God?€ÏWe€need€Godððs€help€for€two€reasons:€1.€€The€badÏattitude€has€to€be€removed€itself.€€2.€€If€we€haveÏsufficient€faith,€God€may€choose€to€help€us€materiallyÏin€a€way€that€reduces€or€eliminates€the€problem€thatÏhas€caused€bitterness€in€us.€€Or€ñ7ñwñ7ññ8ñHñ8ñe€may€help€usÏspiritually€to€endure€that€problem€better.€€We€mayÏcome€to€realize€that€weððre€not€frustratedñ:ñ€and€thus€notÏbitterñ:ñ€if€we€eliminate€or€reduce€the€unsatisñ9ñiñ9ñfied€desireÐ ø*H& Ðthañ;ñtððs€ñ;ññ<ñt€causesñ<ññ;ñcausñ;ññ=ñingñ=ñ€bitterness€to€begin€with.Ð ø*H& ЇIn€conclusion,€we€need€to€avoid€having€bitter€attitudes.€ÏThey€reveal€a€lack€of€forgiveness€and€contentmentÏwith€what€we€have.€€Bitter€attitudes€may€be€the€resultÏof€making€the€wrong€kinds€of€comparisons€with€otherÏpeopleððs€circumstances€who€we€perceive€as€beingÏbetter€off€than€we€are.€€We€need€to€give€up€being€bitterÏtowards€others€since€that€attitude€can€put€ourÏsalvation€at€risk.€€If€we€feel€bitter,€we€need€to€turn€toÏGod€for€help€to€eliminate€this€evil€attitude€within€us.€ÏSo€if€Edith€Ô_ÔCavellÔ_Ô€saw€she€should€avoid€bitternessÏabout€being€caught€and€executed€by€the€Germans€forÏhelping€Allied€soldiers€escape€during€WWI,€we€asÏChristians€should€be€able€to€avoid€bitterness€aboutÏany€people€or€trials€we€face€in€this€life.ó óÔ#†X„@Xçèi†,#ÔÐ ˜è  Ðà  àà ` à